Week of March 13th, 2017

Upcoming Field Trips

You may have noticed an abundance of field trip permission slips coming home lately! It's true, things are getting busy here at school! All of our upcoming field trips are incredibly special in their own ways. Here's a little bit of information about them:

March 29th, 2017- Petaluma Adobe

We will visit the Petaluma Adobe, a state historic park.  General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo owned this rancho when Mexico controlled California's land.  We will get to take a look at what life was like at ranchos in the 1800s and learn more about the history of the rancho period.

April 17th, 2017- Lake Lagunitas

This trip is the Monday after Spring Break! We will drive to Lake Lagunitas in Fairfax to release the trout that we have been raising in our classroom.  Ask your child what they've learned so far about trout in science class! It's been so fun watching them hatch and grow as alevin.  On the 17th, we will release the trout, learn more about the watershed, take a hike around the lake and enjoy a picnic lunch together.

April 21st, 2017- Audubon Canyon Ranch

This is a whole day hiking adventure to study local habitats.  Audubon Canyon Ranch is located near Bolinas and is a beautiful place to see wildlife.  We will break off into docent-led groups and spend the day exploring in nature!

Please mark these field trips on your calendar now and sign up to drive if you can! I know that these trips are very close together and that it's hard to take time off of work, so we may have an increased need for drivers this time around.  Thanks for any effort you can make to come with us!

For each field trip, please remember to cancel any hot lunch orders and order a field trip lunch in advance if you would like.  Kids will need to have bagged snacks and lunches for each trip. Thank you!

Dance Performance

Our 4th graders have been studying different kinds of dance with Alan Scofield for the past several weeks.  We thank Kiddo! for funding this incredible program.  The kids really come alive when they hear the music to their favorite dance pieces.  It's fascinating to see how their personalities translate to their moves on the dance floor! Come and join the fun during our dance performance on April 7th, at 2:00pm. This is the day before Spring Break, so please make an effort to keep your child in school on this day.  They will not want to miss the performance! 

Upcoming State CAASPP testing and schedule

State testing is coming up quickly! We will be preparing here at school throughout the month of April and testing will begin on May 1st.  During our testing weeks, please support your child at home by helping them get a good night's sleep each night, providing them with a nutritious breakfast, and getting to school on time.  Arriving late can cause a lot of stress for students on testing days, as can a lack of sleep! When we get closer to testing, I will reach out again to ask for healthy snacks to be donated on testing days. For now, please mark the testing days on your calendar so that your family will ready when the dates arrive. If you know in advance that your child will be absent on a testing day, please let me know as soon as you can. Thank you!

Monday, May 1st, 8:45-10:05am
Tuesday, May 2nd, 10:20-11:45am
Wednesday, May 3rd, 11:00-11:45am
Thursday, May 4th, 8:45-10:05am
Friday, May 5th, 8:45-10:05am

Monday, May 8th, 8:45-10:05am
Tuesday, May 9th, 10:20-11:45am
Wednesday, May 10th, 11:00-11:45am
Thursday, May 11th, 8:45-10:05am
Friday, May 12th, 8:45-10:05am

Sutter's Fort!

We are continuing to work behind the scenes to prepare for our incredible trip to Sutter's Fort on Monday, June 12th!  Thank you to everyone who has volunteered to help at home and at the fort! This trip would not be possible without you! 

In the next couple of weeks, your child will learn which real life pioneer will be their Sutter's Fort persona!  Once they find this out, it's time to start looking for a costume to borrow, make or purchase.  We will not send you out on a hunt empty handed. I will send home an informational packet about clothing in the 1800s to help guide your search.  Also, the 4th grade teachers and our incredible costume guru, Cara Guyot, will make a presentation to all of the students about what they should look for in a costume.  If you have any questions about costume requirements, please don't hesitate to contact me.  There is also a Sutter's Fort costume lending closet which will be open during the week before Spring Break. You and your child can go to the closet and find a costume to check out for the trip. Here are those dates:

Wednesday, 4/5, after school
Thursday, 4/6, after school

Please plan to have your child's costume ready for the costume check day on May 18th. Thank you for all of your help with this!

TenMarks

All of the students in our class have an account on tenmarks.com so that they can log in for optional extra math practice.  TenMarks is a fantastic website because it provides videos and hints to help students who are unsure of how to solve a problem.  Also, it provides practice for the students using an interface that is similar to the new state testing, which increases their comfort level.  I encourage students to use scratch paper to work out their thinking while working in TenMarks.

I am adding assignments for review as we continue to cover new math standards and as students complete the assignments that I've already posted.  If there are no new assignments available, students can always choose to do a "Jam Session" on a topic of their choice. I just put new assignments up today, so there should be plenty available for those who eagerly tackled the last bunch of assignments! 

To log in, students should go to http://tenmarks.com/login and use the username and password they've been assigned.  All students should have this information in their homework binders, but if they have misplaced it, just send me an email or have your child ask me for another copy. Please let me know if you have any questions about TenMarks!


April Talking Calendar

On Monday, the students will be assigned their April talking calendar project.  Here are the due dates for the project so that you can help keep your child on track. Please reach out if you have any questions.

April Talking Calendar

Timeline for Success!

Assigned in class                     on Monday, March 20th

Complete all research (yellow pages)             by Friday, March 24th

Complete writing outline            in class on Monday, March 27th

Complete rough draft                     by Wednesday, March 29th

(Your teacher will return with comments on Friday, March 31st)

Complete cover                       by Monday, April 3rd

Type paragraph in Google Drive and turn in finished product

by Friday, April 7th

(Note: This is the day before Spring Break. If your child will be absent on that day, they should turn in their TC before they leave.)

Garden Update

Hello Gardeners!

With spring here, we have many opportunities to help out with garden-related projects.

You can work on a job in the garden.
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0c4faca62aa7f58-garden44

You can come to the craft night on Tuesday, March 21st to help make fairy wands for the Garden Craft Faire next month.
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0c45a5a82ca6fa7-fairy

If you can't make the craft night, but would like to help out on your own time, we have chickens that need to be stuffed! These cute little guys are one of the most popular items at our Craft Faire. Want to take home some sewn bodies to stuff and stitch closed? We can provide all the materials. Email Kristy Kale at edna.garden.educator@gmail.com.

Our garden grows because of YOU!

Warmly,

Kristy Kale

PTA Survey

Please visit this link and complete this year's PTA survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KGLJ92V

Week of January 23rd, 2017

Symphony Day Field Trip

This Friday, Edna Maguire's 4th graders will participate in the Marin Symphony's Symphony Day concert!  We are already preparing for how to be an attentive, respectful audience and are really looking forward to the show! We have a packed schedule on Friday, which means that we will have to each lunch on the way home from the field trip.  If your child has a hot lunch order for Friday, please cancel it and send a bagged lunch instead.  That way, they will be sure to have time to each their lunch. Please be sure to pack a snack as well, so everyone can nibble on something before the show. Thank you for your help with this! 

Edna's Interactive Art Show

February 6-10, 2017
 
Starting Monday, February 6, the multi-purpose room will be transformed into a vibrant art gallery, where you can peruse magnificent original works from EVERY Edna student. Throughout the week, students will participate in special Kiddo! Art classes held in the MPR. The classes are open to family members, so plan to join your junior Picasso or Rodin for what's sure to be a fun and exciting art project! Please see the schedule below for your classroom's date and time. You're also invited to join us in "the gallery" for a special evening reception on Wednesday Feb 8th from 5:30-6:30pm.

Please join us for our special interactive art class! Come to the MPR on Monday, Feb 6 from 2:15-3:05pm to join in the fun. I hope to see many of you there!


Wax Museum Project

As you may have inferred by this point, the Wax Museum project is a big one! This is fourth grade's big at home project of the year. Thank you for all of the support you've already given your children in researching their character and for checking in with your children to make sure they are meeting deadlines.  

Speaking of deadlines, here are the remaining deadlines for this project. Be sure to mark your calendars for the big event on February 16th.


Friday, Jan. 27th:       Research and Planning Packet DUE

Friday, Feb. 3rd:        1st Draft of Monologue DUE

Friday, Feb. 10th:        Final draft of monologue DUE
                                   Poster DUE
Monday, Feb 13th:       Picture of Costume DUE (by email or in person)

Tuesday, Feb. 14th:        Locations Assigned

                          First “Rehearsal” + Information

    Session (during school)

Wednesday, Feb. 15th:   Rehearsal (during school)

Thursday, Feb. 16th:       Rehearsal (during school)

                           6:00pm WAX MUSEUM!!!

In library class today, Mrs. Monge gave a fantastic lesson on how to start your monologue with a hook. The kids practiced these strategies verbally and should have a lot of great ideas for speech starters. For your reference, I've typed up the ideas from our lesson's chart below.

IDEAS TO START YOUR MONOLOGUE

1. USE REPETITION

Most babies... Most babies... Most babies weren't _____________.
Imagine... Imagine... I didn't have to imagine. I'm _____________.

2. ASK QUESTIONS

Have you ever...?
Can you imagine...?

3. DESCRIBE A SCENE

The hot sun beat down on me all day as I...
The water splashed viciously in my face as my arms tore through the pool...
Thousands of bright, beady eyes were on me as I took the stage to...

Please support your child with writing this monologue as you see fit. I appreciate your support and the kids do too! I will be giving feedback and editing support once I receive the rough drafts next week. Then, students will type their monologues and start memorizing them. It's a very exciting time!

Please email me as any questions arise about this project. I'm happy to help however I can.

Dance with Alan (Thanks Kiddo!)

Last Friday, we started the first of 10 dance lessons with the wonderful Alan Scofield.  Alan has been teaching dance in Mill Valley since I was a student here, and he is truly an institution.  We had a blast doing a Start Wars themed dance and learning some disco moves!  You all must be modeling these moves at home, because they were quick studies! :) 

Please mark your calendars now for the 4th grade dance performance at 2:00pm on Friday, April 7th.  This is the day before spring break.  I know that it's tempting to pull your children out of school early for travel plans, but please make a concerted effort to be in school on April 7th.  The kids love dance class and are so excited to perform for you! It will truly be a performance you will not forget, and neither will they!

Week of January 9th, 2017

Happy New Year and welcome back to school! I look forward to seeing your kids' smiling faces in the morning. We will ease back into our school routines and brace for a week of rainy day recess! I'm very excited about the coming weeks with these fun fourth graders. 

I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for the thoughtful holiday class gift that I received before the break. I was greatly touched by your generosity.  I feel incredibly lucky to teach in a community where I am so supported and appreciated by my students and their parents. Thank you, thank you!

There are many exciting events coming up soon for our class! Please read on for the details.

California Wax Museum!

This week, I will introduce the California Wax Museum Project. The Wax Museum is a quintessential fourth grade experience! Over the course of this project, every student will learn a great deal about a famous Californian and push themselves to write an engaging monologue in an attempt to capture the voice of their assigned Californian. The project culminates in an exciting celebration of their hard work and all that they've learned.  All fourth grade families are invited to join us on Thursday, February 16th at 6:00pm to watch the students perform their monologues.  

This project begins with each student picking a famous Californian. Next, they will research that person and write a monologue about that person’s life and why he or she is so special to California. After that, they will design a background and costume for their Californian’s monologue presentation. Finally, on February 16th, they will present their monologue to families at our California Wax Museum! Please let me know if you have any questions as we move forward with this project.

Project Timeline

Monday, Jan. 9th:     Project Introduced

                       Character Selection Started

Thursday, Jan. 12th:    Top 5 Character Choices and 2-3

    Sentence Explanations DUE

Friday, Jan. 13th:        Characters Assigned

Monday and Tuesday, January 16th and 17th: NO SCHOOL

 

Friday, Jan. 27th:        Research Packet DUE

                        Sketch of Poster DUE

Friday, Feb. 3rd:        1st Draft of Monologue DUE

Friday, Feb. 10th:        Poster DUE

Final Draft of Monologue DUE

Monday, Feb. 13th: Costume picture DUE 

(by email or in person)

Tuesday, Feb. 14th:        Locations Assigned

                          First “Rehearsal” + Information

    Session (during school)

Wednesday, Feb. 15th:   Rehearsal (during school)

Thursday, Feb. 16th:    Dress Rehearsal (during school)

                           6:00pm Wax Museum!!!

February Talking Calendar Assignment

Due to the scheduling of the California Wax Museum project, the February Talking Calendar assignment will be completed in class. I didn't want the students to become overwhelmed with several long term projects going on at once.  The students should focus their efforts at home on doing their personal best on the Wax Museum project in the coming weeks. Please let me know if you have any questions!

Sutter's Fort

This is a reminder to mark your calendars for the mandatory parent meeting about Sutter's Fort, which will be held on January 25th, 2017 at 6:30pm. At least one parent from each family needs to attend this meeting to ensure that your family knows how to prepare for the trip.  I look forward to seeing you there and sharing lots of important information about this wonderful adventure!

Marin Symphony Day Field Trip

On January 27th, our class will go on a short field trip to the Marin Civic Center to participate in Symphony Day with the Marin Symphony. All 4th graders in Marin County have been invited to this concert which will feature world famous violinist Midori performing a movement of Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto. 

Thanks to those of you who have returned signed permission slips and signed up to drive! I will be in touch this week with more details about the trip. Please return these forms as soon as possible if you have not done so already. 

A Touch of Understanding

The 4th grade team is looking forward to a visit from A Touch of Understanding on January 31st, 2017.  On this special day, the students will hear from individuals who have disabilities about their experiences and how their disabilities have affected their lives.  They will also have the opportunity to try out tools that disabled people utilize, such as wheelchairs and canes. They will learn about prosthetics and how they can be used to help a wide range of individuals. We will also talk about invisible disabilities, such as dyslexia and autism.  Every year, this presentation has a huge impact on our fourth graders. It's a Kiddo! funded program and I am so grateful to take part in it each year. 

Two messages from this program stand out loud and clear to me:

Though some people may look differently than you or use tools that you do not, they are still the same on the inside. They have the same kinds of thoughts and feelings that you do.

Even when life presents you with extreme challenges, as long as you do not give up on your dreams, you can succeed.

After our special day with A Touch of Understanding, please ask your child about their experience with the program. I am confident that you will be blown away by what they share with you.

Interactive Art Show

This year's Interactive Art Show for our class will take place on Monday, February 6th from 2:15-3:05pm.  All parents are invited to join us for this creative event and make some art with us!  Jackie LaLanne, our art teacher, and I would love to see you there!

Week of December 5th, 2016 

Traditions Feast

The 4th grade Traditions Feast is one of my favorite events of the year! You are all invited to join us at school on December 21st from 12:30-2:00pm to share in each other's traditions and some delicious treats! 

For this special feast, I am asking that the fourth graders bring in a food item or dish that they usually enjoy during the holidays. At the feast, students will first share a little bit about the food they brought in and then we will eat. Next week, your child will bring home a traditions worksheet. Please work with them to think of a dish that is traditional (or well liked) in your family that would be possible to bring to school to share on Dec. 21st.   Thank you in advance for contributing to this event! Dishes do not need to be homemade, just special for your family.  Foods that have been shared in the past range from homemade latkes to hot chocolate to store bought cookies.

California Cookies 

We have an exciting event coming up before winter break! Making California cookies is a longstanding 4th grade tradition at Edna Maguire and I’m excited to bring it to your kids this year!  On December 22nd at 1:30pm, your children will be decorating cookies in the shape of California to demonstrate the natural landforms of our state.  I appreciate any and all support that you can provide for this event.  Please visit the sign up genius page to volunteer to bake cookies, donate supplies or help in class on the day of the activity. 

www.SignUpGenius.com/go/30E094CACAA2FA20-california5

Please contact me at ejfrazier@mvschools.org with any questions that you have. If you sign up to bake cookies, I will be in touch with directions and a recipe. Thank you in advance for your help!
  
Poetry
 
This is a Kiddo! sponsored program that started this week! Students will be learning about writing their own poetry under the guidance of Terri Glass, a seasoned poet with the Poets in Schools Organization.
 
The Winter Sing
This performance will be featuring the Kiddo!-sponsored 3rd and 4th grade chorus! It is on Tuesday, December 20th at 1pm in the MPR. Please join us if you are able!


Mindful Mornings

Who: Edna Maguire students, students’ families (parents, grandparents, guardians, siblings, cousins  - anyone!), and staff interested in starting off their day more mindfully.

What: A mindfulness lesson supported by Tara Ordonez – Edna’s very own 1st grade teacher who has participated in Mindful Schools training and certification programs.

Where: On the stage in the MPR

When: Every Friday morning from 8:30-8:40am beginning Friday, December 9

Why: Mindfulness is "paying attention to the present moment on purpose and non-judgmentally.” In the school setting, mindfulness helps students to increase their focus and concentration skills, improve self-awareness, self-control and resilience - all critical skills for being a successful student and citizen. In today's world, where over stimulation is constant, cultivating mindfulness can give children powerful tools to develop a more balanced and self-regulated mind and body. Mindfulness teaches our children to be more present and it gives them the permission to stop and just "be" for a moment.

Beyond these compelling reasons to practice mindfulness, participating in A Mindful Morning at Edna is a unique experience to share with your child and other Edna students and families.

Details: There is no need to sign up. Just arrive in the MPR by 8:30am and quietly join us on the stage. Students can attend Mindful Mornings without the supervision of a parent or guardian, but will be expected to participate appropriately. If the curtains are closed on the stage, the mindfulness lesson has begun – please be mindful and don’t interrupt. We’d love to see you the following week!
Students should leave their backpacks on the floor in front of the stage when they arrive. We would welcome and greatly appreciate any yoga mat or carpet sample/square donations. Until we have our own supply, bringing your own mat or blanket might make the stage floor more comfortable. We hope to see you next Friday, December 9, at 8:30am!

Kiddo!

The Mill Valley School District relies on financial support from Kiddo! in order to bring our children a quality, well-rounded education. Your contributions to Kiddo! make so many programs and services at our school possible! Because of your donations, our students are given regular instruction in art, music, dance, drama, poetry, and P.E. My students and I also get help from Kiddo! funded classroom aides, library aides, and tech experts. In fact, Kiddo! is celebrating its 35th year supporting our schools, teachers, and kids! Please know that your voluntary donations to Kiddo! every year – in any amount – help keep great programs and people in place at our school. Thanks in advance for helping Kiddo! help our schools.

Yearbooks

Last year the PTA purchased a yearbook for each student.  Thank you, PTA!  However, this year and going forward we are reverting back to having parents purchase one for their family or each of their students if they would like to have one.  While it was nice to provide each student a book, the $13,500 expense is just too big to justify when there are other programs that more urgently need PTA funding. 

Yearbooks can be purchased via the website. Edna Weekly or the following link through January 31st, 2017.

http://www.jostens.com/apps/store/productBrowse/1094183/Edna-Maguire-Elementary-School/2017-Yearbook/2016103104151532051/CATALOG_SHOP/;jsessionid=FAC18BD19D2C3CF98105D1D86FAA4CBE

Birthday Books

The PTA is funding a birthday book for each student at Edna.  These books are needed for the library so the PTA fully funding the Edna library's $14,000 budget is a better use of parent donations.  Thank you parents, for your donations!

Sutter's Fort

The planning for our incredible Sutter's Fort trip has begun! This hands on, immersive field trip requires a great deal of preparation and parent support. Please mark your calendars for the mandatory parent meeting, which will be held on January 25th, 2017 at 6:30pm. At least one parent from each family needs to attend this meeting to ensure that your family knows how to prepare for the trip.
This year, we will also need to sew some costume elements ahead of time in order to be able to provide them for the entire class. If you know how to sew and are interested in helping out, please contact me or Cara Guyot. She will be organizing a few sewing parties to get us ready for our big trip. Thank you, Cara, and everyone who is planning helping out!