Week 2

Weekly Greetings!

Wow, what a great first week we had in 4th grade! This truly is a fabulous group of students!

I am sorry to say, I am only able to post one picture from some of the pictures I took of group activities last week on this blog due to either permission issues or the paperwork has not been returned. There was a lot of information sent home last week from the district, Tok School, and myself and I realized it takes busy people some time to go through it all. So, hopefully I can post more pictures next week. I will also know who else may not want pictures on the blog. The blog is really just another method for you to see what your child is doing in school in case a parent letter does not get home to you.In my parent letter to go home I will add some pictures that I will not be able to post, but they will not be in color and a limit amount for printing purposes.

The one picture I can post below shows how in small groups the students worked to establish classroom rules. It was wonderful to see how well they cooperated together and the ideas they generated were perfect!

 

This week we will continue to work on the foundation for a solid classroom community and further define routine expectations. It all really ties into our Six Keys Book project, and we will really considerate on how the keys will help to make a successful year for them all. 

During reading last week, we focused on comprehension skills and independent reading guidelines. This week we will start Unit 1 of the Treasure curriculum. I am sending home a spelling list that they will practice in class this week. Please have them practice reading each word, writing each word, and spelling each word out loud. Next week I will start sending home a small amount of enrichment homework along with the spelling list from their reading program. 

Last week in Math, students reviewed Math vocabulary in addition to other review concepts. For fun, we made a real and picture graph of the class to see the amount of girls verses boys in the class. I will only post the picture graph here on the blog, but in the parent letter you will see both the real and picture graph. This week in Math, we will continue to do review work with a focus on 3 digit numbers and place value.

 

 Our afternoon Science will be limited this week due to the Cross Country Meet on Monday and a large block of Art time with Shauna Lee on Wednesday. I am sending home information about her Art Club that starts next week. Though we will only have one day of Science, we will continue with a short unit on healthy habits and check the potatoes that the students all handled last week, first with dirty hands and then handling another potato with clean hands. The focus will be the importance of washing hands to remove germs.

The class will also have to finalize the fund raising ideas this week. We may just need to start with a bake sale, instead of trying to combine it with a car wash as there are only three adult family members that have said they would help at this point. For a car wash, we would need more support.

In closing, please remember that next Monday is Labor Day and there will not be any school. 

Have an awesome week!

Kind Regards,

Julie Brown

Week 1

 Greetings!

Ready, set, go! The start of a new school year has finally arrived! I am probably more excited than the students, as there are so many fun ideas rolling around in my head to make this a great year of learning for the group. I have added a few pictures of the class that the students will come in to see the first day. My hope it that it will be a comfortable place for them to grow and learn this year.

 We will have a couple of class pets. A little hamster that we will need to name, and a tadpole that we will watch become a frog.

Our first week will be all about instructional and classroom routines. Though we will be doing regular content in reading, math, writing, and science we will also be covering "Six Keys" for fostering and maintaining high motivation and achievement. Everyone has a need to see these keys met, and we will address one a day. The keys are:

Safety from fear of embarrassment or physical harm.

Love and Belonging through inclusion, respect, and sincere caring.

Freedom and Independence through the option to make meaningful decisions and choices.

Fun and Enjoyment through meaningful engagement that provides gratification while learning.

Valued Purpose through knowing that what is being learned is purposeful to the learner.

Success through the recognition of accomplishments and growth in creativity, competence, skills, and knowledge.   

Each day we will discuss what that key looks like in our classroom community, and the students will make a book page for a Six Keys book to keep in class.  

I hope you all received my letter of introduction that was sent out by mail at the beginning of August. If you did not get one please let me know. A few reminders from that letter are:

 

Weekly Communication: At the beginning of each week, I will be sending home a letter informing you of our weekly goals. As a result of this information, I am hoping we will become a team in your child’s education. The letter will also be posted in an online blog at: mrsbrownsfourth.blogspot.com

Homework:  To give the class some time to settle back into a school routine, I will start sending weekly homework beginning the first week in September, Monday through Thursday nights. It will be practice and enrichment assignments to reinforce concepts presented in class. Also, home reading will be encouraged nightly and a reading log will be sent home on Friday to be returned the following Thursday.

Field Trips:  I have a number of ideas for field trips, but it is my understanding that the class must raise the money.  I have some ideas, but will be looking for parent support in this area. If you have ideas, or would like to help start the year with a yard sale, please contact me.

I hope you have an enjoyable week! 

Kind Regards,

Julie Brown

 

Starting School

Greetings!

As a new school year begins for your child as one of my fourth grade students, I felt it was important to introduce myself. My journey with the Alaska Gateway School District began in the fall of 2012. For the first two years, I was teaching the Kindergarten through 2nd grade groups in Tetlin. For the last two years, I have been teaching the same ages at another village school in Northway. This fall, I am very excited to be teaching at the Tok School!

Before moving to Tok, my background consisted of four years living in Botswana, Africa, with my husband where I taught mostly English as second language learners in grades Kindergarten through fourth. Previously, we were long time Alaska residents. Most of our years in Alaska were spent living in the interior bush community of Galena, where I taught an alternative program for teens, 7^th and 8^th grades, Title 1 reading, and Kindergarten. For a number of years before obtaining my teacher certificate, I was part of the classified support staff in addition to serving on the local school board. My husband and I also ran a small air taxi service from our home. For over 30 years, we were very happy living in a rural community among the Athabascan people of the region. It has been great to be back in Alaska, and Tok has been a good fit for us.

In the classroom, I have a genuine passion to teach children of any age, and I honestly do, "whatever it takes" to see my students succeed. It is my belief that every child is precious and deserving of a quality education in a culturally relevant and a secure surrounding in which knowledge can increase. I feel that all children are capable of learning, but do not always learn in the same way or at the same rate. Individuals learn in a variety of ways, and children deserve equal opportunities to learn through educational approaches that blend and stimulate all multiple intelligences found in the classroom population. It is my goal to provide an atmosphere where students feel comfortable to take risks by testing new ideas in a safe classroom environment, and develop to their fullest potential.

I am confident that with your support, we can make this an exciting and successful year for your child! Please take a few minutes to look at the following information with my contact details and some procedural information.

                                               

Please feel free to call me if you have any questions about the start of school.

My cell is: (907) 378-3515

Weekly Communication: At the beginning of each week, I will be sending home a letter informing you of our weekly goals. As a result of this information, I am hoping we will become a team in your child’s education. The letter will also be posted in an online blog at: mrsbrownsfourth.blogspot.com

Homework:  To give the class some time to settle back into a school routine, I will start sending weekly homework beginning the first week in September, Monday through Thursday nights. It will be practice and enrichment assignments to reinforce concepts presented in class. Also, home reading will be encouraged nightly and a reading log will be sent home on Friday to be returned the following Thursday.

Field Trips:  I have a number of ideas for field trips, but it is my understanding that the class must raise the money.  I have some ideas, but will be looking for parent support in this area. If you have ideas, or would like to help start the year with a yard sale, please contact me.

Class Supply List:

1. Three ring notebook (Please, DO NOT bring a Trapper/Keeper style notebook)

2.  Package of tabbed dividers (8 tabs) for the three-ring notebook

3. Three packages (approximately 450 sheets) of wide-lined notebook paper

4.  Box of colored pencils

5.  Set of watercolor paints

6.  Scissors

7.  Six glue sticks

8. #2 Pencils  (about 36 will last through the school year) 

9. Ear buds (that can be left at school)  

10.  Gym shoes (that remain at school)