Nancy and Stephanie's Class, Room 407

March Curriculum Letter

2012-03-04T19:54:00.001-05:00

Dear fourth grade families,

Please enjoy these updates from our classroom.

Reading

We continue to read Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor and Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis. Students are discussing issues of race and justice as they arise in the texts. We are also focusing on stamina in independent reading, helping students read longer and faster through goal setting.

Math

We have just completed our unit on fractions and decimals. Grocery stores and restaurants are great places to practice adding and subtracting fractions. How much would it cost to buy the peanut butter and the jelly? How much more expensive is the coffee than the tea? This week, students will take a practice math test in anticipation of the state math test, which is approaching from April 25^th to 27^th. When we return from camp, we'll begin preparing for the test, starting with questions about geometry. Students will be encouraged to think critically about test questions justifying their answers and debating their solutions with others.

ELA Test Prep

We have already begun to study for the ELA test, which will happen from April 17^th to 19^th. Students are learning various strategies for reading different kinds of passages and answering different types of questions. We are also studying general test prep strategies like eliminating the answers that are least correct, reading questions before looking at the passage, and scanning for specific information.

Word Study

Our latest word study activities centered around conjunctions. We learned when conjunctions need commas and when they do not, which conjunctions come in pairs, like neither and nor, and some conjunctions students tend not to use as often, like thus and therefore.

Social Studies

We continue to work on our two social studies projects on West African kingdoms and West African stories. Students have been so excited about their projects that they often ask to stay in from recess to continue their work. As we proceed with both of these projects, we'll decide on a date to share them and invite you to join us.

Theater

We are very excited to begin our theater workshop on Monday. Students will be playing improv games games and making their own improvised skits. We'll be focusing on showing different emotions through facial expressions and actions, self control, and projecting voices.

Camp Ashokan

We are very excited about our trip this Wednesday to Friday. Please send in all permission slips, forms, and payment directly to us as soon as possible. We are happy to answer any last minute questions about the trip via email.

Thank you

As you may have heard, Stephanie recently became engaged to her partner, David. Students threw a wonderful party in their honor on Friday. Many students participated by making centerpieces and artwork, delivering a speech, singing a song, helping with food, or toasting over apple juice and lemonade. Stephanie sends a warm thank you to all of you for raising such lovely children.

Best,

Nancy and Stephanie

February Curriculum Letter

2012-02-08T20:24:00.002-05:00

Dear fourth grade families,

Please enjoy these updates from our classroom.

Writing

We are finishing up our unit on persuasive essays. Your child might choose to write their final draft by hand or bring it home to type. If your child brings his or her essay home, please help make sure he or she makes time to type it and that all components including the rough draft and final essay make it back to school.

Reading

Some students are reading Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor and others have just begun to read Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis. As we read these books, students will be practicing talking about books with their peers, particularly learning how to respectfully agree and disagree with each other's interpretations of the books they read.

Math

We are now well into our unit on fractions. Students are adding fractions using pictures and by learning equivalent fractions. Dinner time is a great time to talk about fractions. If I eat half my mac and cheese and then I eat another quarter of my mac and cheese, how much of my mac and cheese hae I eaten? If there are 36 grapes on the table and I eat one quarter of the grapes, how many grapes are left?

Word Study

Last week we studied adjectives including adjectives that compare, like faster and fastest. This week, we'll be studying adverbs that describe verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. We'll be looking at the differences between adjectives and adverbs.

Social Studies

We are continuing our study of West Africa through two exciting projects. In class, students are working in groups to study the Ghana, Mali, and Songhay empires. They are working on collaborative projects about the empires they are studying. Also, in the library, we are working on a Reader's Theater project. Students will be learning various stories about Anansi, the Spider that originate form West Africa. Students will be using these stories to learn about West African storytelling and practice fluency.

Dance and Theater

We are wrapping up several months of dance classes on Monday, February 13^th. Students have enjoyed learning hip hop dances, practicing yoga poses, and creating their own moves with partners. During our last class, we invite families to see the work we've been doing. This class will be February 13^th from 9:10 to 9:55 in the auditorium. After the dance class ends, we will have the opportunity to participate in a ten-week theater workshop, the content of which will be decided in the coming weeks.

Half Day February 10^th

Please be aware that this week, on January 27^th, we have a half day. Dismissal is promptly at 11:30 AM. If you would like to sign up for childcare with Wingspan for the remainder of the day, please contact Mat mcgloin.matthew@gmail.com or Laura Lee lauralee@wingspanarts.org or Noemi 212-387-0195.

Snack

Please check out our new snack calender and help us replenish our dwindling snack supply. Please also bring in another roll or two of paper towels.

Feb 13	Feb 27	March 5	March 12	March 19
Parker	Luigi	Kasar	Christina	Amon-ra
Oscar	Liza	D'yanira	Brandon	Ashley
Narayan	Lila	Dreanna	Alana	Jonathan
Milla	Alexander	DeAndre	Adriana	Martha
Miljan	Eko	Dario	Adelina	Michael N.
Michael C.	Ismael

Camp Ashokan

We will be heading to Camp Ashokan from March 7-9. We will send home information packets soon, but we also wanted to make sure you have the dates on your calendar. If your child takes any prescription medication, or if you would like your child to be able to take any over the counter medications including cough drops during the trip, Ashokan's policy requires a doctor's note and a prescription is applicable. You may want to schedule a doctor's appointment during the February break.

Best,

Nancy and Stephanie

January Curriculum Letter

2012-01-18T15:24:00.002-05:00

Dear fourth grade families,

Please enjoy these updates from our classroom.

Writing

We are continuing our unit on persuasive writing. Students have drafted their essays an are working on revising them to make sure their arguments are airtight. You might want to play devil's advocate with your child, arguing the opposite of their opinion statement in order to help them strengthen their arguments.

Reading

Some students are continuing to read Tuck Everlasting and others are reading Just Juice . We are continuing to work on story elements, especially mood. Students listen to the way the author chooses to lay out the plot of the story in order to understand the feelings the author is trying to make the reader feel. Ask your child to identify the mood of a book s/he is reading independently.

Math

We have just finished two units on multiplication and division. Students are able to solve multi-digit multiplication and division problems. We are now beginning a unit on fractions. Try talking about fractions at the dinner table. Ask your child what fraction of the people at the table are drinking milk or what fraction of their mashed potatoes are left on the plate.

Word Study

We are learning all kinds of verb tenses. Every morning, students try writing sentences in a new tense. In addition to the classic verb tenses, we've also learned perfect and progressive verb tenses.

Social Studies

We continue our study of West Africa. In addition to reading more books about the geography and culture of West Africa, students are learning how to write summaries of these non-fiction texts. Students write paragraphs that include topic sentences, details, and conclusions. This kind of writing practice is a building block for research-based writing.

Ice Skating

We will be ice skating with other classes at Lasker Rink tomorrow, January 19^th and February 2^nd. If you are interested in chaperoning, please let us know. Please be sure your child brings in both the Department of Education and Lasker Rink permission slips. Children should wear thick socks and several layers to be comfortable at the trip. Cold lunch will be available at the trip, but you might want to send your child with a bag lunch as an alternative.

Winter Clothing

As is gets colder, please note that students will continue to have recess outside, except when it is actively raining or sleeting. Please be sure your child has a heavy coat, hat, scarf, and gloves. It is often quite warm in the classroom, so dressing in layers is the best way to be sure children are prepared for all temperature possibilities. This might also be a good time to check that growing children's clothing continues to fit properly. A belt or an extra long undershirt can go a long way toward helping clothes cover a growing child.

Classroom Supplies

We are currently out of paper towels in the classroom. If you can please pick up an extra roll of paper towels on your next trip to the grocery store and send it to school, we would greatly appreciate it. Please also check this snack schedule and be sure to send in snack with your child on the specified week.

Jan 9	Jan 17	Jan 23	Jan 30	Feb 6
Parker	Luigi	Kasar	Christina	Aman-ra
Oscar	Liza	Dyanira	Brandon	Ashley
Narayan	Lila	Dreanna	Alana	Jonathan
Milla	Alexander	DeAndre	Adriana	Martha
Miljan	Eko	Dario	Adelina	Michael N.
Michael C.	Ismael

Half Day January 27^th

Please be aware that next week, on January 27^th, we have a half day. Dismissal is promptly at 11:30 AM. If you would like to sign up for childcare with Wingspan for the remainder of the day, please contact Mat mcgloin.matthew@gmail.com or Laura Lee lauralee@wingspanarts.org or Noemi 212-387-0195.

Best,

Nancy and Stephanie

Mid December Curriculum Letter

2011-12-17T19:29:00.001-05:00

Dear Fourth Grade Families,

Please enjoy these updates from our classroom.

Writing

We have begun a unit on persuasive essay. Students brainstormed dozens of essay ideas and have chosen one to grow into an essay. Students are at different points of the planning process, thinking of catchy openings, describing their problems, and listing reasons to support their opinions. Ask your child what topic they've chosen and what their opinion statement is.

Reading

Some students are reading Tuck Everlasting and others are reading The Cricket in Times Square. We are working on identifying story elements: characters, setting, problem, solution, theme, and mood. Students have also set mid-year reading goals. Ask you child what his or her goal is.

Math

We have been working on division story problems and strategies. Some students are drawing pictures of division scenarios, in order to visualize the problem. Others are skip counting until they reach the dividend. Yet others are using multiplication and division facts they know in order to move toward a quotient. When a division context arises, such as figuring out the price of a grocery item per ounce or splitting a bill, ask your child to help you figure out the answer.

Word Study

During morning meeting, we've been spending time learning parts of speech. Student learned about singular, plural and possessive nouns as well as subject, object, and possessive pronouns. Ask your child to point out these parts of speech in their writing or in the books they read.

Social Studies

We have continued our study of West Africa through several read alouds. Students are learning facts about West Africa while they learn vocabulary about the study of culture as well as the skill of note taking. Ask your child one fact or vocabulary word s/he has learned about West Africa.

Book Order

The latest scholastic book order went home last week. If you'd like to order, please hand in the form on Monday or order online with the code FWT22.

Ice Skating Trip: Save the Date

Our class will be going ice skating at Lasker Rink on January 19^th. We will send home permission slip at a later date, but we wanted parents to be able to hold the date. If you would like to chaperone, please let us know, and keep in mind the following guidelines: Refrain from making purchases of any kind during the trip. Families are welcome to bring hot chocolate for sharing as long as there is enough to share with the entire class.

Best,

Nancy and Stephanie

December Curriculum Letter

2011-12-01T07:51:00.004-05:00

Hi Fourth Grade Families,

Please enjoy these updates from our classroom.

Writing

Students are just finishing up writing the final copies their memoirs, and are reflecting on the work they've done. Students spend a long time revising and editing their work to make for final copies they felt really proud of. Starting this week, students are also using their spelling try sheets to improve the spelling of their homework.

Social Studies

We have just begun a unit on West Africa. We looked at atlases and make a long list of everything we knew about West Africa. Then, we brainstormed a list of questions we had about the region. As the unit progresses, we will read West African folk tales and learn about the history, culture, and religions of West Africa. If your family has anything you'd like to contribute to this unit, please let us know.

Math

We just finished an investigation of multiplication arrays that focused on the question, "Is it always possible to break apart arrays into smaller pieces and put them back together to find the answer?" Ask your child to provide an example of breaking apart an array into smaller, easier arrays, and then putting it back together. As we progress in our unit, we'll look at multiplication as a comparison, do an investigation on division, study larger multiples, and learn some advanced strategies for multiplying like doubling and halving numbers. Check your child's backpack for a letter about how to reinforce strategies taught in this math unit at home.

Reading

Some students are continuing to read Becoming Naomi Leon and others are reading Edward Tulane. All students are learning to talk about story elements and are writing predictions based on context clues from the stories and prior knowledge from personal experiences. Ask your child to make a prediction about any books s/he is reading at home.

Field Trip

Next Wednesday, December 7, we will be taking a trip to the Newtown Creek Water Treatment Facility to learn about how water is processed. Emily is coordinating this trip as part the science curriculum, and we will be going with Lauren's class as well. Please make sure to send in a permission slip.

Farewell to Emmeline

Emmeline will be returning to Denmark on December 18th, and we will miss her. If your child would like to stay in touch, you can send him or her to school with an email or Skype ID to share with Emmeline. We wish her all the best.

Best,

Nancy and Stephanie

Notes for the End of the Year

2011-06-07T17:14:00.001-04:00

Dear Fourth and Fifth Grade Families,

Please enjoy these notes and updates from our classroom:

Field Day

We will be heading to Prospect Park tomorrow for field day. We will travel to the park by bus and return by subway. Family members are welcome to join us. It will be hot tomorrow, so please pack sunblock, water bottles, sunglasses, hats, etc. Please leave water balloons, water guns, nerf guns, etc. at home.

Graduation

Fifth grade graduation is coming up on Wednesday, June 22 at 1:30. We are excited to honor graduates at this ceremony. Fourth graders will also participate in singing with the graduates. Fifth graders will have the optional opportunity to share a short (one minute) thank you. There is no dress code for graduation, but students should dress nicely. Last year, boys wore anything from Bermuda shorts and polos to suits and girls wore dresses or blouses with skirts or slacks. Fifth graders often choose to spend the morning getting ready at home with their families and should arrive no later than 12:30 to prepare for the ceremony.

Camp Days

On June 24 and 27 students will spend the afternoon at a nearby park. Sprinklers will be available, so students should bring bathing suits, towels, and a change of clothes as well as lots of sunblock.

Attendance

As the year comes toward an end, I notice some students coming less often or later to school. I want to remind families that attendance is taken every day through the last day of school. This is especially important for fourth graders whose attendance and latenesses are recorded on middle school applications. It's also important for students to be present for graduation rehearsals, closing activities, helping to pack up the classroom, and going through their work from the year.

Returning Materials

As we get closer to the end of the year, please start gathering classroom materials from your homes. The last day to return books from the school library is Friday. Students may continue to borrow books from the classroom library as long as they are returned by the end of school. If you have any other materials from the classroom at home (knitting needles, books of writing ideas, etc) please return them as soon as possible.

Air Conditioning

Students and I have been trying our best to negotiate the temperature and air conditioning in the classroom so it's not too hot or too cold. Please send children to school with layered clothing, so they will be most comfortable in the classroom.

As always, if you need to contact me for any reason, you can reach me at stephschwartz@gmail.com or by leaving a note on my door or a message with anyone in the office.

Best,
Stephanie

March Class Notes

2011-03-06T15:30:00.002-05:00

Dear Fourth and Fifth Grade Families,

Please enjoy these notes and updates from our classroom:

Ashoken

We will be heading to Camp Ashoken from Wednesday to Friday, and we are so excited! Students have been talking nonstop about blacksmithing projects and maple candy making, and teachers are working hard to form groups and make last minute arrangements. If your child is planning to attend, and has not yet handed in all of the forms and payment, please do so as soon as possible. If you need another copy of the packing list, please let me know. I have copies at school, but I don't have an electronic version. If your child requires medication of any kind during the trip, please bring it in the original packaging inside a ziplock back, labeled with your child's name in sharpie. Don't forget to send your child with extra socks, underwear, and garbage bags in case anything gets wet.

Students who are not joining us at camp, will join other classes Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

Family Conferences
As soon as we get back from camp, it will be time for family conferences. I will be available to meet from 1:00-4:15 PM on Tuesday, March 15 and from 4:30-8:00 PM on Wednesday, March 16. I'll send home a form tomorrow. If you can, please send it in on Tuesday, so we can schedule times before we go to camp. I am looking forward to meeting with all of you.

Pen Pals
We have now received and sent our first batch of letters to our New Orleans pen pals. It was so exciting to learn about our pen pals and share about ourselves. I saw students write more than they ever had before. Ask your child about his or her pen pal.

Slavery
In recent weeks, we had two visitors come to our class to talk to us about slavery. Anthony, Kofa's dad, shared with us the story of his family and their connection to Carter Woodson, the founder of Black History Month. Students connected to this story and asked many interesting questions about African American history and race. Jennifer from the New York Historical Society came to share with us some artifacts from the Civil War era: a bag of cotton, a soldier's bag, the doll of a slave girl, and a lantern. Students enjoyed exploring these artifacts with their 4 senses (we decided to leave out taste for this activity) and hypothesizing about how the objects were used.

We continue our study of slavery by exploring the Underground Railroad through stories and songs.

Book Clubs
Students are very excited to be involved in book clubs. Groups are reading The Whipping Boy, Bunnicula, From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Number the Stars, and A Wrinkle in Time. Each group has a different focus from keeping track of characters to improving fluency in reading aloud to making inferences with evidence from the text to recognizing and understanding metaphor. Ask your child about the book he or she is reading.

Personal Essays
Students are finishing up revising and editing their personal essays. We will be ready to publish soon, and I hope to have them ready by family conference time. Soon, we will move on to a unit on writing literary essays. Students will be able to write about their favorite books.

As always, if you need to contact me for any reason, you can reach me at stephschwartz@gmail.com or by leaving a note on my door or a message with anyone in the office.

Best,
Stephanie

11/30

2010-11-30T20:34:00.002-05:00

Dear Fourth and Fifth Grade Families,

Here are some notes and updates from our classroom:

Pen Pals
This year, our class will participate in a pen pal exchange with a 4th and 5th
grade class at Audubon Charter School in New Orleans. It is my goal that corresponding with
another student will be a fun and interesting way for your child to develop and practice the skills
of writing we’re working on this year.

With your permission, your child’s first name will be given to an individual pen pal in Mr. Schafer's class. Then your child will receive the name of his/her New York pen pal, and the
correspondence will begin. We will work on the letters in class, and they will count as graded
writing assignments throughout the remainder of the school year. We hope that all students will
be able to participate, but if students do not have permission to participate, they will still be
expected to complete assignments by writing to a family member.

Audubon charter school is a half Montessori, half French school, and Mr. Schafer's class is the Montessori section and has a lot of the same goals as our school including multi-grade classrooms and experiential learning. You can find more information about the school at their website: http://auduboncharter.com/ Students are encouraged to explore this website.

I am sending a form home with students. Please return this form by Monday, December 6.

Writing Homework
Students have done such a great job at writing long this year that we've changed our goal to write at least 3/4 of a page each night. Students who were already writing 3/4 page entries are encouraged to write full pages, and full page writers are writing even longer. If you haven't peeked in your child's writer's notebook lately, take a look a read some of the great stories s/he's been writing. We are especially working on using description and narrative voice in writing memoirs.

Cooking
We now have a mini fridge as well as a mini oven in the classroom, so it's time for some cooking. If you have a recipe you'd like to share with the class, please do. Parents are welcome to schedule a time to come and cook with us or send in favorite recipes for us to use.

African Burial Ground
As part of our study of slavery and the Civil War, we will be taking a field trip to the African Burial Ground on Thursday, December 9. You can visit their website for information about the memorial http://www.nps.gov/afbg/index.htm We will take the subway and be back by lunch. I'll send home permission slips tomorrow. Please bring them back as soon as possible. Please let me know if you'd like to come with us on this trip.

As always, if you need to contact me for any reason, you can reach me at stephschwartz@gmail.com or by leaving a note on my door or a message with anyone in the office.

Best,
Stephanie

November Class Notes

2010-11-14T18:34:00.002-05:00

Dear Fourth and Fifth Grade Families,

Here are some notes and updates from our classroom:

Fall Family Conferences
It was such a pleasure to meet with most of you last week. If you haven't gotten a chance to sign up for a conference, please email me, so we can find a good time.

Fall Family Celebration
We will have our fall family celebration on Thursday at 10 AM in the classroom. All family members are welcome, and we invite you to bring your favorite family dish. I'll be bringing a variation of my Grandma's noodle kugel. I can't wait to taste your dishes.

Math Games
We are deep into our unit on multiplication and division. Here are some ways you can practice at home. While you're walking around the city or sitting at the dinner table, you can quiz students on their multiplication facts up to 12 x 12. Fourth graders love to play multiple turn over. Make a deck of cards with the numbers 2-50 or 2-80 or 2-120 depending on how challenging you want the game to be. Each player gets 10 cards, dealt face up. Players take turns choosing factors. When a factor is called, all players turn over any multiples of that factor. The first player to turn over all their multiples wins. Fifth graders love to play the factor game and the product game. You can find examples in your child's math notebook.

Memoirs
We have just begun a unit on memoir writing. Each student has chosen one small moment from their life to write about. This unit will focus on planning stories around a problem and solution, writing with description and narrative voice, and highlighting the heart of the story. Ask your child what he or she is writing about.

Slavery Study
We have also just started our unit on slavery and the Civil War. We are reading Jump Ship to Freedom, a novel about a young slave trying to buy his freedom in the aftermath of the Revolutionary War. We will be reading many picture books about West Africa and slavery in the coming weeks. We are also studying West African dance and culture in our Wednesday dance classes.

As always, if you need to contact me for any reason, you can reach me at stephschwartz@gmail.com or by leaving a note on my door or a message with anyone in the office.

Best,
Stephanie

Notes From Stephanie's Class

2010-10-03T17:46:00.000-04:00

Dear Fourth and Fifth Grade Families,

The year is off to a great start, and I’d like to share some updates about our classroom with you.

Curriculum Night

Curriculum night will be held this Thursday, October 7. Please join me and other families to discuss upcoming curriculum. I am so excited to share with you my plans for the year!

Clean and Green

This year, the chancellor has asked custodians and teacher to switch to green cleaning products for classrooms. I welcome the opportunity to discuss green options with students, but I have to admit, I’m not so familiar with the options. If your family uses any green cleaning products that you like and aren’t too pricy, I’d appreciate if you share with me the product names and where they can be purchased. I’m especially looking for a replacement for Clorox wipes. Thanks!

Literacy

In reading, we have been noticing the emotions we feel as we read different passages. Books can make us feel happy, scared, angry, and sad. In writing, we’ve been writing our own stories about times when we felt a strong emotion. We’ve also been pushing ourselves to write longer by putting an “x” at the part of the page we want to write to and timing ourselves in short increments. At home, students should be reading at least 30 minutes every night and writing in their book log. Students are also writing a story or a continuation of a story every weeknight, pushing themselves to write more than they usually do (half a page for reluctant writers to 1 or more pages for eager readers).

Math

We love story problems! We’re working on skills we can use to solve any story problem. First, we read the problem and say in our own words, what it’s asking. Next, we write an open ended equation to show what operation we need to do (ex. 324 + 728 = ______). Then, we show our work as we solve the problem. Finally, we write our answers with a label. We are also practicing estimating so that we’ll know if our answer is in the ballpark.

Social Studies

Students are loving our study of current events and maps. We started the year by making quizzes that use information from atlases and trading them to help each other get used to looking information up in an atlas. We are also reading many current events articles, looking up their locations on the map, and discussing what we think about important issues. Soon we will start a unit on slavery and the civil war, and we are getting ready by reading a fictionalized story about an Angolan queen during the time of Portuguese colonization.

IndyKids

One source we love for current events articles is IndyKids, a newspaper for 4^th-8^th graders produced by volunteers here in New York. To help us pay for this year’s IndyKids subscription, please bring in $2. If you’re interested in getting involved with IndyKids, check out these upcoming meeting they’re holding at their office 666 Broadway (at Bond Street), 5th Floor (Funding Exchange office): Friday, October 8: Brainstorming Meeting, 7:15 pm (New Volunteer Orientation at 6:30 pm), Tuesday, October 19: Editing/Mock-up Meeting, 7:15 pm, Monday, November 1: Proofing Meeting, 7:15 pm, Saturday, November 6: Bundling/Mailing Meeting, 10:30 am. Let me know if you’d like to go to one of these meetings, and I’ll try to meet you there.

Classroom Jobs

Students were very excited to start classroom jobs last week. They worked as a class to brainstorm all the things we needed to get done in the classroom. Then, they each created a job application for one of the jobs. Finally, they applied for jobs by writing a paragraph about their plan for doing their job well. They are all working hard to keep our classroom clean and running smoothly.

As always, if you need to contact me for any reason, you can reach me at stephschwartz@gmail.com or by leaving a note on my door or a message with anyone in the office. I hope to see you Thursday.

Best,

Stephanie