Upcoming Events

Good evening, Families,
     In addition to updates on what we are doing in the classroom this week, I wanted to update you on activities coming up in our room. I feel like we are in the time of year when we go from zero to sixty overnight!
     Halloween is coming up first. The holiday will be celebrated at Bath Elementary on October 29th. There will be a party in our classroom, and children will be parading in their costumes at 2:00 pm. If the weather permits, the parade will circulate out the main entrance and along the front sidewalk. If you would like to see the parade, you can stand along the front sidewalk to see the kids as they pass by. The party in our room will be run by our room parents, Dana Whitmire-Rotili and Amie Scarpitti. Children should bring their costumes to school. They will have an opportunity to put costumes on before the parade. I recommend outfits that can go over school clothes to avoid long lines in the bathroom. 
     The following Monday (11/1) will be when teachers will work on first-quarter report cards. That end of the quarter also marks when we start parent-teacher conferences. This year they are scheduled for November 4th and November 11th. Because my daughter has a band concert on November 4th, Mr. Fry and Mr. Wilson said I could schedule a few conferences during alternative times as well. Please note that I will email you by October 18th if I would like to meet with you. Remember that if I don’t initiate a conference, that is ok. It just means that there aren’t any concerns at this time. However, if you have questions or concerns, I am happy to discuss them!  
     Now, onto our classroom. Last week the children did a great job with two major projects. In language arts, we wrote about Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. We did a corresponding craft to show how we visualized the character “Fudge.” The students worked in groups to research and present on the five major U.S. Regions in social studies. I am in the process of grading all of those now. Social studies scores will go in ProgressBook tonight, but the writing will take some time to get completed. For both, children received a copy of the requirements in advance so that they knew the expectations. And overall, I was blown away! I am beyond impressed with this class!

     This week, we will prepare for our next novel, Sign of a Beaver, by learning more about identifying the plot and main idea. We will practice our skills using our StoryWorks magazine and NewsELA. In our science/social studies block, we will focus more on Science by learning about abiotic versus biotic factors. Then we will start a tree classification project using our excellent outdoor land lab. It is going to be another great week!
     Lastly, I wanted to tell you about a program we watch weekly called NewsDepth. It is part of our social studies curriculum in fourth grade. PBS produces the show, giving students a child-friendly news report on what is happening both locally and worldwide. Occasionally we will use topics on the show to practice real-world writing or video projects. Those students who produce quality work may even share their feedback on the show (first name only). Please fill out their release form here if you would like to permit your child to be featured. It is not required. I want to have the forms completed in the event we can participate. I appreciate your consideration of this!

Upcoming Dates to Know:
October 21 - Girls' STEM Club after school
   * Sign up was required; please send your child with a note if they are staying for this.
October 25 - Red Ribbon Week
October 29 - Wear your Bath Team Hero shirt
October 29 - Halloween parade and party
November 1 - No School for students
November 4 & 11 - Parent-teacher conferences