P.A.W.S. Awards Announced

The first round of P.A.W.S. Character Awards were presented at The Peck Place School last month.  Students from each class are selected for five categories. There will be future selections to come! 

Practicing Kindness:

Nicco Nardecchia

Acting Responsibly:

Maya Remigio

Working and Playing Safely:

Taylor Hawkins

Striving for Success:

Grayson James

All-Around PAWS Award:

Besjana Bobi

The Geography Bee is Coming!

- Class Bee: December 14-16   - School Bee: Jan. 10th at 1:30

I was looking for some educational sites to help students with their geography knowledge.  I came across an article that included the following:

4 Great Geography Websites for Kids

• Global Trek is a great site if you’re traveling to another country, or if you just want to travel virtually and learn about other places and cultures.
• Kids Geo is a fun, online geography textbook written for kids.
• 50 States.com provides fun facts and other information about all 50 states, as well as U.S. commonwealths and territories.
• National Geographic Kids is, of course, the go-to resource for all things geographic.

Giving Thanks and Looking Ahead

The month of November has come and gone so quickly! I hope everyone had a restful and happy Thanksgiving day and break.  I am thankful for being a part of such an awesome school community.

 Here is a recap of what has taken place:

• Hearing Screening - all students had their hearing checked at the nurse's office.  If she had any concerns, you would have received a note from her.  Otherwise, your child can hear you - they just might not be listening to you! :)
• Veterans Day Assembly - What a special day! Your children sang like angels and represented our school magnificently.  I was touched by their sincerity and in awe of the many veterans in attendance.
• American Education Week - It was nice to have some of you visit during the school day.  If you were unable to come on the designated days and would still like you can stop by when it is convenient for you.
• Report Cards- The first marking period report card was sent home.  If you have any questions about your child's progress I am more than happy to speak with you.  As an overview: 2s are right were students should be at this time of year, 3s are showing mastery of end-of-year standards, and 4s are reserved for the rare times students are being instructed with 5th grade standards.
• Mashantucket Pequot Museum - Students, chaperones and teachers enjoyed a fun-filled day at the museum.  We walked through a typical village and learned a great deal about how they Native Americans in our region spent their time. In addition, we learned about and made pinch pottery and participated in a lesson on "Life Without a Supermarket."
• Curriculum - In reading and writing, we are finishing up our exploration of Tall Tales.  Ask your child what characteristics make up a tall tale.  Practice telling them at the dinner table!  In math, the post test was sent home (sign and send back the cover sheet) and we have begun DIVISION.  There is a new method and strategy for teaching this - it uses multiplication to find the missing factor.

UPCOMING:

• AR Reading - This term ends on 12/2.  We will re-test on Monday and set new goals.
• Holiday Concert - The Peck Place School Holiday Concert will be held on 12/20 (look for future communications on times).  Please have all children wear white tops and black bottoms.
• We will continue to be working hard in the classroom.  I know things at home get a little hectic around this time of year.  I will try to keep things as routine as possible in school.

New Units Set to Begin

Last week we finished Unit 1 in Math (Place Value) and our A.R. mini-term ended.  In addition, we had our FIRST BIG TEST in Social Studies.  Some important information regarding these topics is:

• Math: Students showed tremendous growth on the assessment.  I will be sharing these results at conferences and discussing our new way of reporting out these scores to you.
• A.R: 94% of our students met his/her goal for this first session.  A Free Homework Pass was given to those students that successfully met the goal.  We will be setting new goals today - I will conference with each child and work on a plan for reading with success.
• Social Studies: We spent a lot of time analyzing the information in the text, making study guides, learning what it means to "study", and preparing for our test.  It paid off! Every student did an awesome job.  I will be sending the tests home today.  Be sure to celebrate with your child. :)

Today marks the beginning of a few new units of study.  By the end of the day, students will have completed the second round of STAR tests (Math was Friday, Reading today).  I will be introducing:

• Unit 2 in Math (Double Digit Multiplication)- There are some new strategies... ask your child to explain them to you.
• Lesson 3 in Reading (Cause and Effect and Visualization will be the key strategies)
• Chapter 2 in Social Studies - The First People

I look forward to conferences.  This is a great time to discuss your child's adjustment to 4th grade and any questions you might have.

I am so pleased with the way our class is functioning.  Friendships are being made, work habits are strengthening, and a love of learning is felt throughout the day.

Academics Are in Full Swing

Over the past two weeks there has been a shift in my focus.  I am confident that routines and procedures are well established and students are prepared for instruction.  With this in mind, the following steps have been taken:

1. Assessments in Math and Reading have been given and analyzed.
2. Students have been strategically placed in groups based on their application of the various skills I am focusing on  over the next few weeks..  These groups will be changing based on the focus skill, assessment results, and interest level.
3. "Goldilocks Homework" for Math and Reading has begun.  There are numerous homework assignments for each subject.
4. My expectations for quality of work is beginning to increase.  As I introduce new skills and strategies, I will expect to see these applied to their  daily work. 

A few other points:

Communication:  I have communicated with a good number of parents.  I appreciate the honest and open dialogue and am grateful for your support.  If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me.  It is my hope to touch base with each of you prior to October 1.

Important Dates:

• AR Goal - AR goals should be reached by 10/14.  I will be conferencing with each child to let them know what % of their goal they have earned and how many points are remaining.  Please ask them about this and encourage your child to work toward reaching his/her goal.
• School Photos- September 30 is School Picture Day :)

Happy Fall!

Week 1 - A Success!

Good afternoon,

Things in Room 203 are off to a great start.  We have been working on getting to know each other, establishing the rules for OUR classroom, creating good school habits, and learning the classroom routines and procedures.  I am very proud of each student.  

So far, we have:

1. Written the rules, discussed our class motto, and started to build the "family feel"
2. Almost mastered the morning routines: where notices go, where homework is stored, how to select your lunch choice, how to unpack...and pack up, etc.
3. Practiced transitions from one activity to another, learned about center rotations and applied what they learned 
4. Received personalized Chromebooks, experimented with Google Classroom, and took risks
5. Completed a Reading Assessment and received heir  AR zone
6. Took a few Quick Runs, asked/answered questions to relieve any worries, laughed and had FUN. 

That is a lot for the first week!  I will continue to reinforce the expectations and routines as I gradually increase the academic rigor in the classroom.  I will be discussing my philosophy, curriculum, and other important aspects of the school year at Open House on Wednesday September 7.  I hope to see you there.

In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me.  I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Have a wonderful, long weekend,

Tricia Lasto