Dear Parents,
We are back for a busy three weeks before Winter Break! We are wrapping up our Native American projects this week, so we can start our planner on soil before the holiday. Tomorrow we will be taking our assessment on decimals and moving on to measurement. We will be comparing U.S. standard measurement with the Metric system. In reading we started a new novel, The Sign of the Beaver. We are working on inferencing as a focus skill and will start a new writing prompt this week. We will be starting to write more lengthy compositions in preparation for TAKS.
Painting the Town December
We have the Winter Program "Painting the Town December" next Thursday on December 10th. We will be spending the better part of the morning on Monday - Thursday of next week in rehearsal. If you are unable to attend the program on Thursday at 7:00, we will be performing for the school body at 8:30am on Thursday morning. Students need to wear black short sleeved T-shirts, jeans, and tennis shoes. The students will need to be in our classroom at 6:30 prior to the program. I heard them practicing this morning and they look and sound amazing!
Human Growth and Development Video
I just wanted to pass along this note that was sent by our school nurse...Dear Parents, Teachers, and Students,The Human Growth and Development program has been canceled for December 2nd and 4th due to technical difficulties. I'm very sorry for any inconvenience this has caused you at his busy time of the year. I will keep you posted. When we set a program date, you will be notified. Thank you for your understanding.Mrs. D. M. Cleary R.N.
Winter Celebration
We will be having our class party the last day before winter break, December 18th. More information will be coming home with details in the near future.
LDC
We will be having a one week session of LDC next week, December 7-11 from 2-3 in the afternoon. We will be attending LDC for only one week because Mrs. Gee is trying to see all classes in December, which is very beneficial for the students. Mrs. Gee and I decided to change our LDC time for one week so that it will not interfere with the music program practice.
Marathon Kids
Mileage logs for the Marathon Kids program need to be turned in December 17th at the latest.
Progress Reports
Progress Reports were sent home today. I am asking that you sign and return the reports as soon as possible. I have to turn in all signed progress reports next week. If you would like a copy of the progress report please just let me know and I will print an exta copy.
Bubbles
Bubbles is enjoying her new 30 gallon home! There are still a few small items that could make the upkeep of Bubbles a bit simpler. If you would be willing to donate any of these items it would be greatly appreciated by both me and Bubbles :).
1) turkey baster - it will make cleaning the water in the tank much simpler
2) small fish net - this will allow the students to clean out uneaten food and other muck on a daily basis
3) crickets! You can buy a dozen crickets for about $1, Bubbles would be happy to have them any time
4) large container of plain oatmeal - Bubbles is hoping we wills start a meal worm colony to vary her diet
5) meal worms - one or two containers to help us start our colony!
6) a few dollars to go toward the purchase of turtle food, replacing light bulbs, etc.
Please feel free to contact me by e-mail or stop by during my planning time if you have any questions or concerns.
Thank you for all that you do!
Mrs. Zirczy
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
Spelling Words for the week of Nov. 16, 2009
Dear Parents,
The spelling words for the week of November 16, 2009 are:
1. connection
2. perspective
3. reflection
4. responsibility
5. sailor
6. weather
7. collar
8. temper
9. proper
10. harbor
Have a wonderful weekend!
Thank you,
Mrs. Zirczy
The spelling words for the week of November 16, 2009 are:
1. connection
2. perspective
3. reflection
4. responsibility
5. sailor
6. weather
7. collar
8. temper
9. proper
10. harbor
Have a wonderful weekend!
Thank you,
Mrs. Zirczy
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Student Led Conferences and Bubbles!!
Dear Parents,
Thank you to everyone that attended Student Led Conferences today. The student's always love to share their work with you. It was wonderful to see and speak with you all. This week has been a bit different because we have been having benchmark assessments (released TAKS tests). Although this testing is not a favorite of the students (or me :)) it gives me valuable data which allows me to plan more focused instruction. It is a bit overwhelming for students because they are being given old versions of 4th grade tests that are officially given much later in the year. Thank you for bearing with us through the week!
We now have an official class mascot: Bubbles the Red-Eared Slider. Although very cute it has been a bit of a project getting her habitat set up and functioning. I was misinformed by several pet store employees. I was reassured that a 10 gallon tank would be big enough for her...but it turns out she is quite a bit bigger than anticipated and we will need to get her a 30+ gallon tank before long. Her UV light stopped working on Monday (I will take it back to the pet store and return it ASAP), and her heat lamp bulb went out on Tuesday. Mind you, we have only had her since last Thursday. I fed her crickets on Friday to hold her over the weekend and now she does not want to eat anything else. I do appreciate all that you have done to donate money toward Bubbles. It took the money that was donated, plus a very happily donated sum from me to get all of her equipment and now we are having problems. I do not want to ask for anything else, but I am not in the position at this time to spend more on her. If you would like to donate any of the following items it would be greatly appreciated. Bubbles :) is in need of:
Thank you to everyone that attended Student Led Conferences today. The student's always love to share their work with you. It was wonderful to see and speak with you all. This week has been a bit different because we have been having benchmark assessments (released TAKS tests). Although this testing is not a favorite of the students (or me :)) it gives me valuable data which allows me to plan more focused instruction. It is a bit overwhelming for students because they are being given old versions of 4th grade tests that are officially given much later in the year. Thank you for bearing with us through the week!
We now have an official class mascot: Bubbles the Red-Eared Slider. Although very cute it has been a bit of a project getting her habitat set up and functioning. I was misinformed by several pet store employees. I was reassured that a 10 gallon tank would be big enough for her...but it turns out she is quite a bit bigger than anticipated and we will need to get her a 30+ gallon tank before long. Her UV light stopped working on Monday (I will take it back to the pet store and return it ASAP), and her heat lamp bulb went out on Tuesday. Mind you, we have only had her since last Thursday. I fed her crickets on Friday to hold her over the weekend and now she does not want to eat anything else. I do appreciate all that you have done to donate money toward Bubbles. It took the money that was donated, plus a very happily donated sum from me to get all of her equipment and now we are having problems. I do not want to ask for anything else, but I am not in the position at this time to spend more on her. If you would like to donate any of the following items it would be greatly appreciated. Bubbles :) is in need of:
- One small fish net (for scooping out uneaten food)
- A turkey baster (used is perfect, to allow us to clean out her tank water weekly without emptying everything out)
- 75 Watt basking heat bulb for reptiles
- A 30 gallon tank with a screen top (or donations towards a tank)
- Large gravel - 6 small bags, or 1 large bag (for bigger tank)
- Crickets: large - you can bring them by any day, any time and I can keep them in Mrs. Kasner's cricket keeper, they cannot live overnight in the plastic bag, she will eat 5-10 at a time
- meal worms (to start a meal worm colony - to feed to Bubbles)
- One large box of dry oatmeal (for the meal worms)
I apologize for agreeing to such a complicated pet!! However, the children are really enjoying her!
On to academic matters....The students started a Native American research project today. They are researching Native American Tribes that lived in Texas. They will be doing a PowerPoint presentation to organize their information. If they have a flash drive it would be helpful if they could bring it to school to use over the next few weeks. It is not necessary that they have one because I can always save their work on mine as well. They do not need to research at home, they will have plenty of class time for that. They are working with one other person on this project. I am hoping that the smaller size of these groups will be easier for the students than the size of the region groups.
We will be starting decimals and fractions next week. I had hoped to star this week, but benchmarks got in the way a bit. We will also spend some time looking over the most missed questions from the Math benchmark and working on strategies to tackle those types of problems.
We will soon start a new novel and continue working on writing. When we start our new novel the Reading Log will be geared toward the novel, although I would still like students to be reading books of their choice in their extra time. I will tell the students more about this next week. In writing we will be working on using our five senses to add important details into our writing. We are always striving to allow our readers to see what we see, feel what we feel, and think what we think.
This week's spelling words:
1. Native American
2. form
3. function
4. causation
5. change
6. forever
7. meanwhile
8. understand
9. railroad
10. fireplace
Upcoming Dates:
Friday, Nov. 13th: Jon Levitt will be coming to share some of his scientific knowledge with the 4th grade!
Monday, Nov. 16th and Tuesday, Nov. 17th: Book Fair at Barnes and Noble
Wednesday, Nov. 18th: Hansel and Gretel Opera performance at Mark Twain
Friday, Nov. 20th: Diabetes Walk 8:10-8:20
Wednesday, Nov. 25th - Friday, Nov. 27th: Thanksgiving Break
Monday, December 1st: Marathon Kids Mileage Logs Due
Tuesday, December 2nd: Human Growth and Development Presentation for the girls
Thursday, December 4th: Human Growth and Development Presentation for the boys
Thursday, December 10th: Holiday Program Featuring the 4th Grade!!!!
December 10th: Holiday Program starring the 4th Grade!!!!
I am enjoying every day with your children! Thank you for your support and appreciation!!
Mrs. Zirczy
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Early Dismissal on Wednesday/Parent Conferences
Dear Parents,
The weeks are already getting busy as the holiday season approaches! We are having a wonderful time in class, but there is not enough time in the day to do all that we want to!
This Wednesday, November 4th students will be dismissed at 12:30. Report cards will be sent home with them. I will be available for parents conferences between 1:00 and 4:00. Please let me know if you would like to schedule a conference to discuss your child's school work, behavior, or any other questions or concerns. I would be happy to schedule a conference on a different date or time if you are not available on Wednesday. My e-mail address is rzirczy@hosutonisd.org.
We have been in LDC this past week and will continue through next week. The children are reading "The Green Book", which they seem to really be enjoying. This book works perfectly with our planner on resources. They are also practicing writing character journals from the point of view of characters in the story. It is challenging but they are improving every day!
We have started our 2nd planner on resources and the students are working very hard on their first research project. They are researching a region in Texas and creating a presentation to go along with their findings. As a class we came up with research questions that are aligned with the Key Concept questions which are an important part of our PYP curriculum. They students came up with wonderful, but challenging quesitons. The plan was to have them present their regions using PowerPoint presentations, but due to time constraints they were willing to do a paper presentation for this research project. However, I have promised that their Native American research project will be presented on PowerPoint.
In math we have been working on multiplication, division, and a bit of algebra and will continue that through part of this week. We will soon be moving on to decimals and fractions, although we will continue to revisit many concepts throughout the year. This Friday the students will have their 3rd multiplication quiz on facts from 0-9. So far, they have been doing a wonderful job on these quizzes! Please continue to encourage them to work on their multiplication facts, it simply makes more complicated math so much simpler if they know those facts.
We are preparing for Student Led Conferences on Nov. 11th. Students will be choosing items that they would like to put in their portfolios to share with you. Please try and sign up for a 30 minute time slot on Nov. 11th so your child can show off their work. If that date and time is not convenient for you please let me know what time would work for you. If needed, I can schedule times before school, or after school on different days. Any family member is welcome to come! There is a sign up sheet with time slots outside my door. If you have e-mailed me or returned the Student Led Conference form I have penciled you in.
You will see on the important dates that on December 2nd and 4th Nurse Cleary will be giving a Human Growth and Development talk. This consists of a video and short discussion. Please know that there will be permission slips going home and no student will attend without a singed permission slip. I was present for the talk last year for both the boys and girls and would be happy to answer any specific questions you might have.
Unfortunately I was unable to make it to Spooky Spaghetti. I had booked a ticket to Washington D.C. this summer before Spooky Spaghetti was scheduled. I want to thank Mr. and Mrs. Lux for the wonderful job they did with the cake walk. I cannot tell you how many parents and staff members have stopped me to tell me what a wonderful booth it was! Thanks to all of you who were able to donate cakes and to Mr. and Mrs. Lux for their donation to the turtle fund for each cake provided from our students!
Now, the important stuff, the turtle! The students have raised enough money for the turtle! They have been very patient and have worked hard for their class pet. I admire their dedication. I went shopping today and bought the set-up for the turtle and will buy the turtle this week after we have the habitat in place and ready. Thank you for your support in this, it has been a wonderful incintive for the students.
A thank you to all of the parents who have been ordering books through Scholastic! I have been able to order so many free books through Scholastic already! I really appreciate your help in building our classroom library. A special thanks to Janet Schwind for setting up and organizing our orders, it is a big job!
As many of you may know, Monica Phillips, a first grade teacher at Mark Twain has been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer in her lungs. She will not be able to return to school during her treatment. The PTO has organized a calendar online where families can sign up to provide dinner one night for Monica and her family. There are also other ways to help detailed on the website. I believe an e-mail was sent out to all Mark Twain families, but if you would like more information about how to help please let me know. I know many of my students had Mrs. Phillips in Kindergarten.
This week's spelling words are:
1. tenth
2. hundredth
3. thousandth
4. decimal
5. landform
6. plateau
7. curl
8. shirt
9. search
10. cure
Important Dates:
Monday, Nov. 2nd: Last call for March of Dimes Reading Champion Donations
Wednesday, Nov. 4th: Early Dismissal Day, Report Cards, Parent Conferences
Wednsday, Nov. 4th: "Field Trip" to Paershing to watch a performance of the Aztec
Dancers from Mexico 10:30 - 11:30
Thursday, Nov. 5th: Library Day (and every Thursday from now on :))
Wednesday, Nov. 11th: Student Led Conferences
Thursday, Nov. 12th: Jon Levitt will be coming to share some of his scientific knowledge with the 4th grade!
Monday, Nov. 16th - Friday, Nov. 20th: Benchmark Week
Monday, Nov. 16th and Tuesday, Nov. 17th: Book Fair at Barnes and Noble
Wednesday, Nov. 25th - Friday, Nov. 27th: Thanksgiving Break
Monday, December 1st: Marathon Kids Mileage Logs Due
Tuesday, December 2nd: Human Growth and Development Presentation for the girls
Thursday, December 4th: Human Growth and Development Presentation for the boys
Thank you for your continued support!
Rebecca Zirczy
The weeks are already getting busy as the holiday season approaches! We are having a wonderful time in class, but there is not enough time in the day to do all that we want to!
This Wednesday, November 4th students will be dismissed at 12:30. Report cards will be sent home with them. I will be available for parents conferences between 1:00 and 4:00. Please let me know if you would like to schedule a conference to discuss your child's school work, behavior, or any other questions or concerns. I would be happy to schedule a conference on a different date or time if you are not available on Wednesday. My e-mail address is rzirczy@hosutonisd.org.
We have been in LDC this past week and will continue through next week. The children are reading "The Green Book", which they seem to really be enjoying. This book works perfectly with our planner on resources. They are also practicing writing character journals from the point of view of characters in the story. It is challenging but they are improving every day!
We have started our 2nd planner on resources and the students are working very hard on their first research project. They are researching a region in Texas and creating a presentation to go along with their findings. As a class we came up with research questions that are aligned with the Key Concept questions which are an important part of our PYP curriculum. They students came up with wonderful, but challenging quesitons. The plan was to have them present their regions using PowerPoint presentations, but due to time constraints they were willing to do a paper presentation for this research project. However, I have promised that their Native American research project will be presented on PowerPoint.
In math we have been working on multiplication, division, and a bit of algebra and will continue that through part of this week. We will soon be moving on to decimals and fractions, although we will continue to revisit many concepts throughout the year. This Friday the students will have their 3rd multiplication quiz on facts from 0-9. So far, they have been doing a wonderful job on these quizzes! Please continue to encourage them to work on their multiplication facts, it simply makes more complicated math so much simpler if they know those facts.
We are preparing for Student Led Conferences on Nov. 11th. Students will be choosing items that they would like to put in their portfolios to share with you. Please try and sign up for a 30 minute time slot on Nov. 11th so your child can show off their work. If that date and time is not convenient for you please let me know what time would work for you. If needed, I can schedule times before school, or after school on different days. Any family member is welcome to come! There is a sign up sheet with time slots outside my door. If you have e-mailed me or returned the Student Led Conference form I have penciled you in.
You will see on the important dates that on December 2nd and 4th Nurse Cleary will be giving a Human Growth and Development talk. This consists of a video and short discussion. Please know that there will be permission slips going home and no student will attend without a singed permission slip. I was present for the talk last year for both the boys and girls and would be happy to answer any specific questions you might have.
Unfortunately I was unable to make it to Spooky Spaghetti. I had booked a ticket to Washington D.C. this summer before Spooky Spaghetti was scheduled. I want to thank Mr. and Mrs. Lux for the wonderful job they did with the cake walk. I cannot tell you how many parents and staff members have stopped me to tell me what a wonderful booth it was! Thanks to all of you who were able to donate cakes and to Mr. and Mrs. Lux for their donation to the turtle fund for each cake provided from our students!
Now, the important stuff, the turtle! The students have raised enough money for the turtle! They have been very patient and have worked hard for their class pet. I admire their dedication. I went shopping today and bought the set-up for the turtle and will buy the turtle this week after we have the habitat in place and ready. Thank you for your support in this, it has been a wonderful incintive for the students.
A thank you to all of the parents who have been ordering books through Scholastic! I have been able to order so many free books through Scholastic already! I really appreciate your help in building our classroom library. A special thanks to Janet Schwind for setting up and organizing our orders, it is a big job!
As many of you may know, Monica Phillips, a first grade teacher at Mark Twain has been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer in her lungs. She will not be able to return to school during her treatment. The PTO has organized a calendar online where families can sign up to provide dinner one night for Monica and her family. There are also other ways to help detailed on the website. I believe an e-mail was sent out to all Mark Twain families, but if you would like more information about how to help please let me know. I know many of my students had Mrs. Phillips in Kindergarten.
This week's spelling words are:
1. tenth
2. hundredth
3. thousandth
4. decimal
5. landform
6. plateau
7. curl
8. shirt
9. search
10. cure
Important Dates:
Monday, Nov. 2nd: Last call for March of Dimes Reading Champion Donations
Wednesday, Nov. 4th: Early Dismissal Day, Report Cards, Parent Conferences
Wednsday, Nov. 4th: "Field Trip" to Paershing to watch a performance of the Aztec
Dancers from Mexico 10:30 - 11:30
Thursday, Nov. 5th: Library Day (and every Thursday from now on :))
Wednesday, Nov. 11th: Student Led Conferences
Thursday, Nov. 12th: Jon Levitt will be coming to share some of his scientific knowledge with the 4th grade!
Monday, Nov. 16th - Friday, Nov. 20th: Benchmark Week
Monday, Nov. 16th and Tuesday, Nov. 17th: Book Fair at Barnes and Noble
Wednesday, Nov. 25th - Friday, Nov. 27th: Thanksgiving Break
Monday, December 1st: Marathon Kids Mileage Logs Due
Tuesday, December 2nd: Human Growth and Development Presentation for the girls
Thursday, December 4th: Human Growth and Development Presentation for the boys
Thank you for your continued support!
Rebecca Zirczy
Friday, October 16, 2009
Spelling Words
Parents,
I did not hand out spelling word today at the end of the day. Sorry about that!! Here are the spelling words for the week of October 19th -October - 23rd:
Math
1. divisor
2. quotient
3. remainder
Social Studies
4. human
5. capital
6. impact
ou/o
7. couple
8. pound
9. gown
10. dawn
Thank you!
Mrs. Zirczy
I did not hand out spelling word today at the end of the day. Sorry about that!! Here are the spelling words for the week of October 19th -October - 23rd:
Math
1. divisor
2. quotient
3. remainder
Social Studies
4. human
5. capital
6. impact
ou/o
7. couple
8. pound
9. gown
10. dawn
Thank you!
Mrs. Zirczy
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Class Party, Spooky Spaghetti, Time for Kids
Dear Parents,
We have bittersweet news this week. Miguel will be leaving to return to Nicaragua on Tuesday. This is wonderful news for him and his family but we will miss him terribly! He will be returning to Houston periodically and promises to visit. It was wonderful to get to know the Castillos!
I placed the Time for Kids order this week and hope to start receiving the magazines in the next few weeks. Thank you for all that participated and to Mrs. Schachter for help organizing the order. This is a wonderful resource for the students and helps me bring more current events into the classroom
Thank you for allowing your children to do chores and odd jobs for the class pet fund. We already have over $50.00! I am hoping to get our pet by Halloween.
This Friday, October 16th is World Food Day. Some of the students at Mark Twain are organizing a canned food drive to support local food banks. Please feel free to send any canned goods or non-perishable foods to school.
Students may wear their Spooky Spaghetti T-shirts any day between now and Spooky Spaghetti.
Upcoming Events:
Tuesday, October 20th: Scholastic Book Orders Due
Thursday, October 22nd: Class Party! 5:30 -7:00
Saturday, October 24th: Spooky Spaghetti 4:00-8:00
Monday, October 26th: LDC Begins (We will be doing a novel study with character journals)
Tuesday, October 27th: Library Day
Monday, November 2nd: March of Dimes Reading Champion Packets Due
Wednesday, November 4th: Early Dismissal/Report Cards Go Home
Wednesday, November 11th: Student Led Conferences 3:00-5:00
Monday, November 16th and Tuesday, November 17th: Book Fair at Barnes and Noble
Tuesday, December 1st: Marathon Kids Mileage Logs Due
Thank you for your continued support!
Mrs. Zirczy
We have bittersweet news this week. Miguel will be leaving to return to Nicaragua on Tuesday. This is wonderful news for him and his family but we will miss him terribly! He will be returning to Houston periodically and promises to visit. It was wonderful to get to know the Castillos!
I placed the Time for Kids order this week and hope to start receiving the magazines in the next few weeks. Thank you for all that participated and to Mrs. Schachter for help organizing the order. This is a wonderful resource for the students and helps me bring more current events into the classroom
Thank you for allowing your children to do chores and odd jobs for the class pet fund. We already have over $50.00! I am hoping to get our pet by Halloween.
This Friday, October 16th is World Food Day. Some of the students at Mark Twain are organizing a canned food drive to support local food banks. Please feel free to send any canned goods or non-perishable foods to school.
Students may wear their Spooky Spaghetti T-shirts any day between now and Spooky Spaghetti.
Upcoming Events:
Tuesday, October 20th: Scholastic Book Orders Due
Thursday, October 22nd: Class Party! 5:30 -7:00
Saturday, October 24th: Spooky Spaghetti 4:00-8:00
Monday, October 26th: LDC Begins (We will be doing a novel study with character journals)
Tuesday, October 27th: Library Day
Monday, November 2nd: March of Dimes Reading Champion Packets Due
Wednesday, November 4th: Early Dismissal/Report Cards Go Home
Wednesday, November 11th: Student Led Conferences 3:00-5:00
Monday, November 16th and Tuesday, November 17th: Book Fair at Barnes and Noble
Tuesday, December 1st: Marathon Kids Mileage Logs Due
Thank you for your continued support!
Mrs. Zirczy
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Dear Parents,
We are having an exciting week! We are wrapping up our Matter Planner and getting ready to begin our Resources Planner. We are working on "Object Writing", addition and subtraction strategies, map skills, and revision/editing.
Just a reminder about homework:
Please expect to see Spelling, Reading Log, and another assignment (usually Math) Monday - Thursday. I also ask that student's get their agenda signed each day so I know that you are aware of homework assignments and announcements. Conduct charts and graded papers are sent home on Tuesdays and I ask that the students return them on Wednesdays. The students have gotten a little relaxed about these classroom procedures. If you could please help me keep them on their toes I would appreciate it!
Thank you for your support with the class pet. The students are showing a great deal of excitement about raising money for their turtle. I hope this is not an inconvenience to you. Please know you do not have to participate. Depending on how much the students raise we will get a pet turtle, or a less expensive pet if needed. We will work however much is raised.
This week's spelling words:
1. America
2. Asia
3. Europe
4. Antarctica
5. Australia
6. Africa
7. still
8. hint
9. inch
10. brick
Upcoming Events:
October 12 - 16: Announcements
Tuesday, October 13th: Library Day
Wednesday, October 14th: Early Dismissal
Thursday, October 22nd: Class Social 5:30 - 7:00
Saturday, October 24th: Spooky Spaghetti 4:00-8:00
Monday, October 26th: LDC Begins
Tuesday, October 27th: Library Day
Monday, November 2nd: March of Dimes Reading Champion Packets Due
Wednesday, November 11th: Student Led Conferences
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns! Thank you for the continuous support and treats!! You and your children have made this school year so much fun already!
Thank You!
Mrs. Zirczy
We are having an exciting week! We are wrapping up our Matter Planner and getting ready to begin our Resources Planner. We are working on "Object Writing", addition and subtraction strategies, map skills, and revision/editing.
Just a reminder about homework:
Please expect to see Spelling, Reading Log, and another assignment (usually Math) Monday - Thursday. I also ask that student's get their agenda signed each day so I know that you are aware of homework assignments and announcements. Conduct charts and graded papers are sent home on Tuesdays and I ask that the students return them on Wednesdays. The students have gotten a little relaxed about these classroom procedures. If you could please help me keep them on their toes I would appreciate it!
Thank you for your support with the class pet. The students are showing a great deal of excitement about raising money for their turtle. I hope this is not an inconvenience to you. Please know you do not have to participate. Depending on how much the students raise we will get a pet turtle, or a less expensive pet if needed. We will work however much is raised.
This week's spelling words:
1. America
2. Asia
3. Europe
4. Antarctica
5. Australia
6. Africa
7. still
8. hint
9. inch
10. brick
Upcoming Events:
October 12 - 16: Announcements
Tuesday, October 13th: Library Day
Wednesday, October 14th: Early Dismissal
Thursday, October 22nd: Class Social 5:30 - 7:00
Saturday, October 24th: Spooky Spaghetti 4:00-8:00
Monday, October 26th: LDC Begins
Tuesday, October 27th: Library Day
Monday, November 2nd: March of Dimes Reading Champion Packets Due
Wednesday, November 11th: Student Led Conferences
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns! Thank you for the continuous support and treats!! You and your children have made this school year so much fun already!
Thank You!
Mrs. Zirczy
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Oops!
Dear Parents,
I have to say that I have not started off the week at the top of my game. Here are a few of the mistakes I have made :) Please forgive me! :
1) I could not get the spelling words to print and forgot to put them on the blog this weekend, however, I passed them out today
2) I repeated two spelling words on the list. Therefore, the students only have 8 words this week. Due to the fact that we have a four day week that is ok with me.
3) I completed the conduct sheets today, but forgot to send them home in the brown folders. I caught a few children after school, but most did not receive them.
4)Spelling test did not make it in the brown folders either!!
I hope that those will be the be the only slip ups for a while! I apologize for any inconvenience.
I will send the spelling tests and conduct charts home tomorrow.
** There were very few graded papers in this week's brown folders today. This is because we spent a great deal of our time last week taking benchmarks. Expect more graded papers next week. Thank you for your understanding!**
This Week's Spelling Words:
1. addition
2. subtraction
3.recycle
4. landfill
5. lead lead
6. led led
7.steel
8. steal steal
Important Events this Week:
Thursday:
I have to say that I have not started off the week at the top of my game. Here are a few of the mistakes I have made :) Please forgive me! :
1) I could not get the spelling words to print and forgot to put them on the blog this weekend, however, I passed them out today
2) I repeated two spelling words on the list. Therefore, the students only have 8 words this week. Due to the fact that we have a four day week that is ok with me.
3) I completed the conduct sheets today, but forgot to send them home in the brown folders. I caught a few children after school, but most did not receive them.
4)Spelling test did not make it in the brown folders either!!
I hope that those will be the be the only slip ups for a while! I apologize for any inconvenience.
I will send the spelling tests and conduct charts home tomorrow.
** There were very few graded papers in this week's brown folders today. This is because we spent a great deal of our time last week taking benchmarks. Expect more graded papers next week. Thank you for your understanding!**
This Week's Spelling Words:
1. addition
2. subtraction
3.recycle
4. landfill
5. lead lead
6. led led
7.steel
8. steal steal
Important Events this Week:
Thursday:
- Picture Day (We get our pictures taken first thing in the morning so that it will not interfere with our field trip.)
- Field Trip: We will be leaving at 9am, and returning between 12:30pm and 1:00pm. We will eat lunch upon our return (there is no where to eat on the landfill :)) Please make sure you have returned your child's permission slip and $5.00 fee.
Friday:
- All Progress Reports must be turned in to me with a signature. I will return an extra copy when I receive a signed copy.
- We will have a place value quiz. We will review on Thursday and Friday for the quiz
Upcoming Events:
Monday, Oct.5:
- We will have a quiz on the science vocabulary words that the students will receive on Wednesday. They should already be familiar with these terms.
- Library Day
Wednesday, Oct. 14:
- Early Dismissal
Saturday, Oct. 24:
- Spooky Spaghetti, 4pm-8pm
Monday, Oct. 26:
- LDC begins
Thank you for the birthday wishes, balloons, songs, goodies, and gifts!! You made my 30th VERY special!!
Mrs. Zirczy
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Progress Reports
Dear Parents,
Progress Reports went home today. Please sign the copy you received and send it back to school as soon as possible. When I receive the signed copy I will send home a copy for you to keep.
We had a wonderful trip to the Children's Museum on Tuesday. The children had lots of time to explore and learn. Thank you to Mrs. Powers, Mrs. Spike, and Mrs. Castillo who joined us.
We have another field trip fast approaching! We will be going to the Landfill and Recycling Center next Thursday, Oct. 1st. The price in $5.00. The permission slips went home in Tuesday folders.
We have been having Benchmarks this week so the students have had to take 4th grade TAKS release tests. I spoke with them about not getting too worried over these tests, given the fact they are given at the end of 4th grade. I explained that there are many things on the test that I have not yet taught them. However, these tests are very useful for me to gauge their strengths as well as areas for improvement for each student. I will use the results to guide my instruction. We have been going to LDC every day, but the testing has taken up most of the day other than that. I would like to compliment student behavior during testing. They have been very quiet and respectful of other students!
This week's spelling words are:
1. mode
2. maximum
3. minimum
4. hundred
5. thousand
6. million
Science
7. solution
8. mixture
Language Arts
9. peach
10. cream
Upcoming Dates:
Monday, Sep. 28 - School Holiday
Tuesday, Sep. 29 - Library Day
Thursday, Oct. 1 - Field Trip 9am-1pm *please send sack lunch*
Wednesay, October 14 - Early Dismissal
Saturday, October 24 - Spooky Spaghettie 4pm-8pm
Monday, October 26, LDC begins
Tuesday, October 27 - Library Day
Wednesday, November 11 - Student Led Conferences : 3pm-5pm
A few notes from Open House:
My Classroom Schedule:
8:00 – 8:10 Announcements
8:10 – 9:15 L.A.
9:15 – 10:00 Ancillary
10:00 – 10:10 Restroom Break/Snack
10:10 – 11:45 Math
11:48 – 12:18 Lunch
12:18 – 12:48 Recess (with Restroom Break)
12:48 – 2:30 Planner
2:30 – 3:00 Reading
Times to Note:
School begins at 8:00. (*tardies)
Dismissal is at 3:00.
GT pull-out is Thursdays 12:15 – 2:45
Library is every other Tuesday 10:30 – 10:50.
LDC is 8:00 – 9:00 for two weeks at a time. We are then off for four weeks.
Homework:
Your child should be spending a maximum of 1 to 1 ½ hours on homework.
I expect all homework to be completed. If your child has a busy night scheduled, they can complete homework in advance.
They will get spelling, reading or LDC, and math homework nightly.
I will pass out spelling words on Friday for the next week.
Tuesday Folders:
Every Tuesday students will bring home their Green Folder.
The Green Folder will contain their weekly conduct chart, graded and returned work, and other notes.
Conduct sheets and graded work should be signed and returned in the folder by Wednesday.
Grading Policy:
Each assignment will be weighted as follows:
Daily Grades—40%
Tests/Quizzes/Projects—50%
HW (completion)/Spelling—10%
Students will have an opportunity to retake any failed tests or quizzes for a maximum of 70%.
Students will be given a week to complete missed assignments due to absences. (Long term absences will be dealt with on a case by case basis.)
Conduct:
Weekly conduct sheets must be signed and returned on Wednesday with the green folder.
Conduct grades will be based on daily conduct marks I take in class. I will try to add a note about what type of behavior resulted in a daily mark.
E—1 mark
S—2-3 marks
N—4-5 marks
(If N’s continue, we may need a conference.)
U—6 or more marks
(We may need a parent conference.)
4th Grade Testing Day:
TAKS
Writing: March 3, 2010
Math: April 27, 2010
Reading: April 28, 2010
Stanford Window:
January 20-28, 2010
Birthdays:
On your child’s birthday you may send cupcakes or goodie bags to be passed out after lunch.
When lunch ends at 12:18, the students go outside to recess and may have their cupcakes.
Please send enough for the entire class. We have a total of 21 students.
Time for Kids Magazine:
I would like to use Time For Kids magazine for reading and social studies instruction.
The cost is $5.50 per student. Please send cash (no checks, please), I will place the order online with my credit card.I will not be able to place the order until the majority of students have brought in their money.
Thank you for your continued generosity and support!!
Mrs. Zirczy
Progress Reports went home today. Please sign the copy you received and send it back to school as soon as possible. When I receive the signed copy I will send home a copy for you to keep.
We had a wonderful trip to the Children's Museum on Tuesday. The children had lots of time to explore and learn. Thank you to Mrs. Powers, Mrs. Spike, and Mrs. Castillo who joined us.
We have another field trip fast approaching! We will be going to the Landfill and Recycling Center next Thursday, Oct. 1st. The price in $5.00. The permission slips went home in Tuesday folders.
We have been having Benchmarks this week so the students have had to take 4th grade TAKS release tests. I spoke with them about not getting too worried over these tests, given the fact they are given at the end of 4th grade. I explained that there are many things on the test that I have not yet taught them. However, these tests are very useful for me to gauge their strengths as well as areas for improvement for each student. I will use the results to guide my instruction. We have been going to LDC every day, but the testing has taken up most of the day other than that. I would like to compliment student behavior during testing. They have been very quiet and respectful of other students!
This week's spelling words are:
1. mode
2. maximum
3. minimum
4. hundred
5. thousand
6. million
Science
7. solution
8. mixture
Language Arts
9. peach
10. cream
Upcoming Dates:
Monday, Sep. 28 - School Holiday
Tuesday, Sep. 29 - Library Day
Thursday, Oct. 1 - Field Trip 9am-1pm *please send sack lunch*
Wednesay, October 14 - Early Dismissal
Saturday, October 24 - Spooky Spaghettie 4pm-8pm
Monday, October 26, LDC begins
Tuesday, October 27 - Library Day
Wednesday, November 11 - Student Led Conferences : 3pm-5pm
A few notes from Open House:
My Classroom Schedule:
8:00 – 8:10 Announcements
8:10 – 9:15 L.A.
9:15 – 10:00 Ancillary
10:00 – 10:10 Restroom Break/Snack
10:10 – 11:45 Math
11:48 – 12:18 Lunch
12:18 – 12:48 Recess (with Restroom Break)
12:48 – 2:30 Planner
2:30 – 3:00 Reading
Times to Note:
School begins at 8:00. (*tardies)
Dismissal is at 3:00.
GT pull-out is Thursdays 12:15 – 2:45
Library is every other Tuesday 10:30 – 10:50.
LDC is 8:00 – 9:00 for two weeks at a time. We are then off for four weeks.
Homework:
Your child should be spending a maximum of 1 to 1 ½ hours on homework.
I expect all homework to be completed. If your child has a busy night scheduled, they can complete homework in advance.
They will get spelling, reading or LDC, and math homework nightly.
I will pass out spelling words on Friday for the next week.
Tuesday Folders:
Every Tuesday students will bring home their Green Folder.
The Green Folder will contain their weekly conduct chart, graded and returned work, and other notes.
Conduct sheets and graded work should be signed and returned in the folder by Wednesday.
Grading Policy:
Each assignment will be weighted as follows:
Daily Grades—40%
Tests/Quizzes/Projects—50%
HW (completion)/Spelling—10%
Students will have an opportunity to retake any failed tests or quizzes for a maximum of 70%.
Students will be given a week to complete missed assignments due to absences. (Long term absences will be dealt with on a case by case basis.)
Conduct:
Weekly conduct sheets must be signed and returned on Wednesday with the green folder.
Conduct grades will be based on daily conduct marks I take in class. I will try to add a note about what type of behavior resulted in a daily mark.
E—1 mark
S—2-3 marks
N—4-5 marks
(If N’s continue, we may need a conference.)
U—6 or more marks
(We may need a parent conference.)
4th Grade Testing Day:
TAKS
Writing: March 3, 2010
Math: April 27, 2010
Reading: April 28, 2010
Stanford Window:
January 20-28, 2010
Birthdays:
On your child’s birthday you may send cupcakes or goodie bags to be passed out after lunch.
When lunch ends at 12:18, the students go outside to recess and may have their cupcakes.
Please send enough for the entire class. We have a total of 21 students.
Time for Kids Magazine:
I would like to use Time For Kids magazine for reading and social studies instruction.
The cost is $5.50 per student. Please send cash (no checks, please), I will place the order online with my credit card.I will not be able to place the order until the majority of students have brought in their money.
Thank you for your continued generosity and support!!
Mrs. Zirczy
Monday, September 14, 2009
Spelling Words
Dear Parents,
I have been preparing for open house, so there is much info to come tomorrow. I just wanted to get this week's spelling words up. I will post a more informational letter later this week.
This week's spelling words:
1. equivalent
2. equal
3. place value
4. weight
5. mass
6. balance
7. pain
8. gain
9. aid
10. drain drain
Thank You!
Mrs. Zirczy
I have been preparing for open house, so there is much info to come tomorrow. I just wanted to get this week's spelling words up. I will post a more informational letter later this week.
This week's spelling words:
1. equivalent
2. equal
3. place value
4. weight
5. mass
6. balance
7. pain
8. gain
9. aid
10. drain drain
Thank You!
Mrs. Zirczy
Monday, September 7, 2009
Field Trips!
Dear Parents,
Field Trips:
We will take a field trip to the Children's Museum on September 22nd. They have a new exhibit that is all about Matter! Permission slips with the details of the time and price will be coming home this week. I will need 2-3 adult chaperones to accompany us. If you are interested and available please send me an e-mail.
We are tentatively planning a field trip for October 1st to a local recycling center. I will update the blog when I get more information. Again I will be needing 2 - 3 adult chaperones.
Presidential Address:
We will be showing the Presidential Address to Children at 11:00 on Tuesday. If you would like your child to view the address please return the permission slip that was sent home on Friday. If you do not wish for your child to view the address please return the permission slip with a statement that you do not wish for your child to view the address. I no permission slip is returned the student will not view the address. Students not viewing the address will be assigned a different activity which they will complete in a 4th grade teacher's room where the address is not being shown.
Sally Foster Fundraiser Update:
The coupon books are on sale for $20.
Reading Log:
This week students will begin having a daily reading log as part of their homework. I am asking that student's read 20 - 30 minutes nightly and complete a short writing assignment based on what they have read. They do not have to complete a book to write about it in their Reading Log. The Reading Log assignments will be set up similarly to the spelling assignments. Students will have a sheet in their binder that will describe their Reading Log assignment for Mondays, assignment for Tuesdays, etc. If students are unsure of what to do please refer to that sheet.
Math:
For the next two weeks we will be working on place value. We will be focusing on reading numbers correctly, identifying which numbers are in the ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten-thousands, hundred- thousands, and millions place, as well as describing words in standard, written and expanded form. We are also working on problem solving daily.
Language Arts/Reading:
We will continue working in our Writer's Notebook and practicing editing in LA. We will continue reading "Lost and Found" by Andrew Clements and work on character development and plot.
Science:
We will continue our unit on Matter. This week we will be discussing mass and weight, volume, and states of matter. We will be conducting several experiments related to these topics.
These are the week's spelling words:
1. property
2. buoyant
3. volume
4. solid
5. liquid
6. gas
7. skate
8. blade
9. safe
10. shape
I have combined some of the words we will be using in science with a few words that follow a common spelling pattern. I am hoping this will benefit all students.
Upcoming Events:
Presidential Address to Children: September 8th 11:00 am
Extended Day Classes will Change: September 14th
LDC: September 14th - September 25th (We will be working on writing.)
Next Library Day: September 15
Open House: September 15th - 4th Grade is from 6:00-7:00
Sally Foster Fund Raiser Packet Due: September 18th
Field Trip to Children's Museum: September 22nd
Library Day: September 29th
Possible Field Trip to Recycling Center: October 1st
Thank you for all that you do!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Zirczy
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
In the Swing of Things!
Dear Parents,
I have had a wonderful first week with your children! We are officially in the swing of things despite my absence on Monday due to a sinus infection. I am enjoying all of the students personalities. They are a very bright and outgoing group! Here are a few weekly procedure details that I need to share with you:
Agendas: I have students write their homework in their agenda each morning as soon as they arrive and settle in. I am asking that you sign their agenda each night. This is so I know that you are aware of what homework was assigned and any additional information that I might need to pass on to you via their agendas. It is very important that students have their agendas with them each day.
Homework: Students will have reading reflection journal assignments (starting next week), spelling assignments, and at least one other assignment each night for homework. I do not give homework on Fridays unless we are working on a large project, or students have not completed all of their work from the week. If for some reason your child is unable to complete their homework please write a note on their homework page and they can complete it either during class or the next evening.
Spelling Words: I will send spelling words home on Fridays for the next week. I only send 10 words home because I send words that are relevant to the vocabulary we are learning in class. The vocabulary words are sometimes more difficult than traditional spelling words. Daily spelling homework will help the children prepare for the Friday spelling tests, because we will not spend much time in class working on the actual spelling of these words although they will come up often in discussion.
Conduct: I will send a weekly conduct chart home on Tuesdays. There will not be a daily conduct grade in the agenda, however please be aware that if there is a major problem during class I will either send a note, or give you a call that day to let you know specifically what happened. I give all students one warning per day. If they continue to break classroom rules, they receive a check. At the end of the week 0-1 check is an E (Excellent), 2-3 checks are an S (Satisfactory), 4-5 checks is an N (Needs Improvement), and more than 5 checks is a U (Unacceptable). I ask that a parent/teacher conference is scheduled if a student gets a U, or has more than on week in succession with an N.
Snacks: I allow students to eat a small, healthy, mess-free snack each day around 10:00. Feel free to send a snack with your child if you think that they may get hungry during the morning. You may also send water for them to drink in the classroom.
E-mail: My e-mail is: rzirczy@houstonisd.org . Please feel free to e-mail me at any time and I will do my best to get back with you in a timely manner.
Important Times: Students need to be in the classroom at 8:00am, unless they are Safety Patrol members. My conference time is 9:15 – 10:00. Lunch is from 11:48-12:18 with recess immediately following. Students are dismissed at 3:00
This week's spelling words are:
1. matter
2. line
3. ray
4. point
5. segment
6. obtuse
7. acute
8. vertex
9. basic
10. complex
Sally Foster Fund Raiser: It is my understanding that the large coupon book is $35. The Sally Foster representative wanted me to make sure and pass along that the coupon book is for purchase and is not free. All other instructions are in the packet. If you have any other questions about the fund raiser I will do my best to find the answers for you.
Upcoming Events:
Labor Day: September 7th - no school
LDC: September 14th - September 25th (We will be working on writing.)
Next Library Day: September 15
Open House: September 15th - 4th Grade is from 6:00-7:00
Sally Foster Fund Raiser Packet Due: September 18th
I am sure there are many more upcoming dates I am forgetting, but I will continue to update them as I hear about them.
Please feel free to e-mail me any time with any questions or concerns. Thank you for you warm welcome back this year! I am looking forward to working with you and your children!
Sincerely,
Rebecca Zirczy
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