Week of May 1st, 2017

I hope that this blog update finds you well! Thank you so much for the support that you provide to your children and our school each day.  I appreciate each and every one of you!

Kiddo Donation Day!

Tomorrow, May 4th, is KIDDO! Kick-off and Donation Day!  I want you to know how truly grateful I am to teach in a district that honors and supports the Arts.  I have many teacher friends in other school districts who are not as fortunate.  Thanks to KIDDO! your children are writing poetry, dancing to disco music, playing the cello, singing in a choir, and using technology to create and practice the skills and concepts taught across the curriculum. Their learning is enriched from the talents of Nora Hunter, Phoebe Dong, Katie Thiel, Jackie LaLanne, Ms. Harvey, Alan Tong, Coach Guzman, Terri Glass and Alan Scofield.  Please donate to KIDDO! to the extent possible for your family on Donation Day, so we can offer your children the same great education next year.  Thanks in advance for your participation!  

On May 4th, we will be wearing our red, black, and/or yellow to represent KIDDO!   Please encourage your children to do the same.  Hope to see you then!

Sutter's Fort Costume Check Day

An important  milestone in the Sutter's Fort journey is approaching.  On Thursday, May 18th, students will be asked to wear their pioneer costumes to school for a costume check and photo day.  We do this ahead of time to avoid last minute stress for parents and students.  Regardless of character assignment, pioneer attire is encouraged for all students.  Please support your child in gathering pieces of their pioneer costume by May 18th.  Reach out if you have any questions about costume requirements! :)

The students have been told of their character name at this point, but nothing more.  I have more information that I will provide them by the end of the week.  Not to worry!

Chorus Concert

Our fantastic school chorus will be performing in their big concert on Tuesday, May 9, at 7pm in the Mill Valley Middle School Gymnasium. Chorus students need to arrive by 6:45 wearing their chorus outfit. The chorus dress is black on the bottom and white on the top, with hair pulled back and out of the face. Below is the link to Nora Hunter’s website where you can find an information flyer AND lyric sheets to practice the words. (Just click on CHORUS to find everything you need)
If you have any questions, feel free to email Nora Hunter at nhunter@mvschools.org.
Nora Hunter's Website

Film Screening

On May 10th, join Edna and thousands of organizations, companies, schools, museums, libraries and homes in a screening of the film “50/50: Rethinking the Past, Present, and Future of Women + Power.” 50/50 gives the 10,000 year history of women + power — from setbacks and uprisings, to the bigger context of where we are today. It is part of a global conversation about what it will take to get to a more gender-balanced world. The film is 20 minute long and will be shown in the library May 10th at 8:15AM. Continue the conversation at home with questions from this discussion guide: http://www.letitripple.org/films/50-50/5050-discussion-questions/
More info on the film here: http://www.letitripple.org/films/50-50/5050-day/

Open House 

Open House is coming soon! Put this exciting, celebratory event on your calendar! You are invited to come tour our classroom and see many beautiful examples of student learning on Wednesday, May 24th from 6-7pm.  I look forward to seeing you all there and celebrating a fantastic year together!


Parent Volunteer Opportunity

Interested in learning more about a unique, low-maintenance, and super fun volunteer opportunity at Edna? Stop by one of our PROUD Play Training opportunities to learn more about the organized recess games being played at lunch recess. Attending a training makes you eligible, not obligated, to be a PROUD Play coach. RSVP for a training here.

Week of March 27th, 2017

Instrument Project

Here's a notes from Mrs. Hunter about the 4th grade musical instrument project.

Hi Everyone,

We have had an ongoing music project for the last month where students are responsible for creating their own instruments at home and bringing it to the music room.

ALL FOURTH GRADERS are participating in this project, and the deadline is next week during music, which means next Wednesday for some classes and next Friday for others.

The fourth grade page on my website has the project description and also some links for some tutorials to get them started.

Mrs. Hunter's Website

Thanks!

Nora

Sutter's Fort Update

It's an exciting time of the year! This week, your child will find out which pioneer they will be portraying at Sutter's Fort.  Next week, they will be given more information about their pioneer to guide their research and preparation for our trip. 

Now is the time to start thinking about a costume for your child to wear on the field trip.  In this week's Wednesday folder, you received an informational packet about what clothes are appropriate for the trip.  Please take time to review it with your child and make a plan to find a costume.  

There are many places to find appropriate clothes for your child's costume.  Talk to 5th grade parents of kids who have already been to Sutter's Fort.  They may have saved something! Visit secondhand stores like Goodwill to find missing pieces.  Come to the Edna Maguire costume closet to see what you can borrow! It will be after school next week.  Here are the dates:

Wednesday, April 5th, 2-3pm
Thursday, April 6th, 3-4pm

If you plan to visit the costume closet to see what you can borrow, please bring a bag for the clothes that you find.  You will be given a "receipt" to show what you borrowed and reminders about how and when to return the clothes.  Future trips to Sutter's Fort depend on these clothes being returned in a timely manner.  This is especially true this year, as our trip is on the last week of school.

We will have a costume check in May to make sure that all kids have a costume and are ready for the trip.  Below are several resources for costumes. Check them out! :)

Please reach out to me if you have questions about the costumes or other elements of the trip.  I'm happy to help!

Costume Resources

Sutter's Fort Trade Store

Phone: (916) 442-4966

Costumes Enough by Carolyn Elder

Phone: (916) 206-7145

Email: carolyn@costumesenough.com

Website: http://www.costumesenough.com/

Close Enough Costumes by Sharon Baker

Phone: (916) 721-5557

Email: closeenoughcostumes@gmail.com

Website: www.closeenoughcostumes.com

American History Costume Closet

Phone: (916) 284-4345

Email: americanhistorycostumecloset@yahoo.com

I Wannabe Costumes

Phone: (916) 371-0901

Email: morphet@att.net

Website: www.iwannabecostumes.com

Costume Junction

Phone: (916) 723-2528

Email: costumejunction@gmail.com

Website: http://www.costumejct.com/

How They Lived and Living History by Shannon

https://howtheylived.shutterfly.com/periodclothing
 

Field Trip Updates

Petaluma Adobe

Yesterday, we spent a fun and educational day at the Petaluma Adobe where the fourth graders learned why General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo acquired 66,000 acres of land from the Mexican government in the mid 1800s and built a rancho there.  Our docent also shared about life at the rancho, including some of the jobs commonly performed there.  Our visit gave the fourth graders a glimpse of what life was like in California back then and a taste of what's to come at Sutter's Fort!  Thank you to following parents who took time out of their day to drive and chaperone for the trip. This trip would not have been possible without their support!  Thank you also to the Edna Maguire PTA for covering the cost of the trip!  

Fish Release- Wednesday, April 5th

The date of this field trip has been changed! I made a mistake on the new field trip forms that came out this week, but the date for this trip is in fact Wednesday, April 5th.  The reason for this date change is that our fish our growing more quickly than we expected.  The trout are now in the fry stage and need to be released before spring break.  We have had so much fun watching them change and grow over the past month. It will be bittersweet to release them!

Audubon Canyon Ranch- Friday, April 21st

We will spend the day hiking with a docent at Audubon Canyon Ranch near Bolinas.  Thank you to the parents who have signed up to drive and hike with us! It will be an incredible day learning about nature.  Please be sure to cancel hot lunch orders for that day and send your child with a lunch that is easy to eat out on the trail.  Dressing in layers will also be essential that day because you never know if we will be fogged in! Thank you for your help with preparing your child for this trip.

Dance Show- Friday, April 7th

Our dance lessons with Alan Scofield of Young Imaginations are coming to a close.  Please come join in our celebration on April 7th at 2:00pm in the MPR.  The kids have loved their lessons with Mr. Scofield and are quite the sight to see on the dance floor! I am so amazed by their creativity during our dance classes.  Check out this video for a sneak peek of what's to come at the performance! I hope to see you there!

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!