Welcome Back!

Welcome back! We hit the ground running in 2012. There are a lot of great things in store for us this quarter. Here is some important information I wanted you to have.


Before the holiday break we had to say goodbye to Sophia :( They have moved to PHX but we'll still be able to see her through out the year since she comes back to Tucson weekly. We will miss you Sophia!

Today we welcomed Olga to our class! Olga and her family just moved to Tucson and we're so excited to have her as part of our classroom family.

Report cards will be coming home today. Please sign and return the envelopes on Monday. Just remember that there was a new scale introduced in October that is higher than the scale previously used. Example: students must have a 3.4 or higher to receive an A. This means they would have had to receive multiple 4's in each subject to be able to score higher than a 3.0. The grades reflect what skills were taught in the second quarter.
I'm going to try something new starting this quarter...........no more signing of the planners. The reason behind the planners is to keep the kiddos organized, responsible and to keep the parents informed of what is going on in the classroom as far as tests, homework, projects, etc. They will still fill out their planners daily but you will not be required to sign them anymore unless you want to. You will still need to look at them to be aware of homework, tests, projects, etc. If I notice the communication slipping or a kiddo not filling out their planner then I will start to require them to have a signature again so everyone is on the same page.
The cereal box book reports were assigned this week. The criteria and templates came home with your child on Tuesday. Be sure to keep these in a safe place. The reports are due on February 1. This gives them 4 weeks to read the book and create their cereal box. I’m excited to see the end results! Please remember to check the reading calendars. These are part of their reading grade and some kiddos are consistently not returning them or are returning them incomplete. They are required to read 30 minutes everyday as part of their homework. More than 30 minutes is encouraged!
We are almost finished with our Math Journal 1’s. If your child doesn’t already have a Journal 2 please work on getting one in the next 2 weeks. It is so beneficial to have the actual journal vs. the wipe off sheets. If you need the information to order one you can email me or Julie Fahy for it. Continue to practice MASTERY of multiplication and division facts. Long division has been hard for those kiddos that don’t have their facts down.
February 14 is Arizona’s 100th birthday! Since AZ is so important in 4th grade I would like to plan a big celebration. I’m thinking of having our Valentine exchange on Monday so we can have “Arizona Days” on Tuesday the 14th since it’s the actual birthday. Please let me know if you would be willing to help me plan “Arizona Days” or if you have any great ideas for it. Our kiddos are very lucky to learn about our state during the year of its 100th birthday.
The kiddos have been blogging on a daily basis. Stop by and see what they have to say! Please check the volunteer calendar on our website to see open spots or to double check days you’ve signed up for. The master is always on the back of my office door and you’re welcome to stop by to sign up or email me dates you want.
Thank you for all of the help you gave last semester with volunteering, planning of celebrations, or stopping in to join us. It makes a huge difference in a class when you have such great families that support it. I’m very thankful for the classroom family we’ve built. Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Ronnie