Our last week of school....

I can't believe it is the last week. It has been such a great year. On Monday, we will update our goal books and see the amazing progress we have made as 4th graders! Many 4G students have increased their words per minute by more than 50 over the course of this school year. Many have increased their math by more than 50 digits answered as well. AMAZING! We have a busy, but fun week planned, so check out the things going on this week over in the margin to the right! Be sure you dress for the activity. Also, for our FIELD TRIP on Friday to Naper Settlement, students need to bring a disposable lunch (which means they can throw everything away when they are done) with their name on it. We will go rain or shine, so check the weather and dress appropriately.

weekend thoughts

We sure have a lot of fun things to look forward to in the last few weeks of school. The most important thing I would like to see is everyone making the best decisions, about our work, our behavior, our attitude and energy... thinking about the way we behave and how it reflects our character. Are we being our best selves? This is the time for everyone to remember that our actions represent our thoughts, and that old adage,"If you have nothing nice to say (or do), then don't say (or do) anything at all." Be your best!

I have been very impressed with the blogging that has been going on on the Blackboard site. Remember to do at least 2 blogs per week (Friday a.m. - Friday a.m.).

4th grade math will have a test this week over our short Chapter 10. It has been fun learning about reflections, symmetry, and images. We will be learning about positives and negatives this week and, of course, reviewing many skills we have studied from past units. THank you for all the support you can get at home!

Happy Mother's Day, Moms!

Soon to be 5th graders....

Yikes! I have just been thinking this weekend about how much I have to do with my class before school is up for the year. I have to send them to 5th grade with so many skills. I know this because I taught 5th grade for a few years! One of the things I am most proud of is the fact that the strong majority of our class is on Otter Creek division facts and moving rapidly through those. Yay! Our class is so supportive and cheers the progress made by others.

I hope that we all do our very best to have a great end to the school year. I will try to keep this updates, at the very least with the upcoming announcements! Don't forget to do your 2 reading blogs a week. SOme of you are doing a great job blogging about what you are reading! I really enjoy reading the posts and the comments you are all making to each other. THey have been positive and encouraging. I hope you all are taking the time to go back to your posts and read what others are commenting on!

You are all awesome!

New blogging site

Hi everyone!
There is something new in 4G. Reading Blogs on Blackboard!
There was a letter sent home Friday about this. The letter explains what Blackboard is and how to access it from home. A new part of our reading grade will be to show that students are reading at home by writing a brief reading log (3 or more sentences) 2 times per week. If a computer is not avaiable, the logs should be written on paper. Logs or blogs are due by Friday each week. Please eplain the importance of your child keeping their ID and password private - this may be their first experience with the world of online communication and we need to approach it with safety as our first priority. Be aware that ONLY kids from 4G are able to access these reading blogs. I am able to see every entry, deletion, and comment made on each student's site. Sitting with your child to experience this would a great way to read and talk about reading together (all while setting expectations and rules about behavior). Thank you for your support. As always, email me with questions (christi_grezlik@ipsd.org). Have a great break!

Has your child told you that I write too much??

Ok, I am back in business. It has been a while since I posted. I decided even if you check this out only every once in a while, if it helps you get a better sense of what we are doing in class and connect with your child, then it is worth my time to put the information on here. If you check this site out, tell your child to come to me with the secret phrase (at the bottom of this post) and they can earn some bucks for their bank. You can just add me to your favorites for your child to check out (with your permission, of course! I will attempt to keep up on the homework listed, but want to have more information about WHAT we are doing in class as well as some links to help you help your kids. Please tell me what you might like on this site. Email me and let me know. Thank you!

Did your child tell you that we have been practice some test taking skills for ISATs that are comingup in a couple of weeks? We have been practicing test taking and reading skills, reading lots of science related materials, as well as writing practice and math practice. It is really helpful to allow kids practice time so they are more comfortable with the test taking procedure. With the advent of No CHild Left Behind, District 204 expects us to see that all students are given the opportunity for success. I want all kids to feel confident in their abilities. In the coming weeks, please check this site for some links to practice some ISAT questions with your child. It really allows you to feel what your kids have to go through. Telling your child how much you believe in them and getting them lots of sleep and staying healthy makes a huge difference!

Weekend Homework?????

Hi everyone,
Yes, there is some work for some kids this weekend.

1. Reading - we are having our reading test on Tuesday.

2. Math - my math class has a test over Unit 5 on Wednesday. The study guide came home today and is due on Tuesday. There will be no homework on Monday, just in case you are wondering.

3. Singer presentations are next week. Your child should be prepared with the report to share about the singer.

4. Progress reports came home today! Please discuss with your child, sign and return. As always, please let me know if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions.

Thanks, and enjoy your weekend! STUDY YOUR FACTS! READ!