Polar Express Movie Night!

The Polar Express

When: Thursday, December 17th

Where: Alameda, Room 144

Time: 5:30-7:30pm

Who: Ms. Brown's students. No siblings, friends, or parents.  

What to Bring: Students may bring 1 pillow, 1 blanket, 1 small stuffed animal, and a beverage with a lid (no pop)! I will provide popcorn for the class, please do not send additional snacks with your child.

What to Wear: Pajamas! (optional)

*Please eat dinner before you come

This week's QF is 4

This week our Quick Fact is 4!

Click the link below to print off practice sheets at home. If a student did not pass the week's QF on Monday they need to complete two sheets (not timed) on two different nights during the week. They can play computer or card games for the QF practice the other nights if they wish but these sheets are good concentrated practice! Also, remind them Don't Skip Around on the sheet, go in order so that they think about each problem every time they encounter it, rather than finding all 4x7 and filling them all in.

x4 sheets
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Typing Club

     We have recently started typing practice through a program called Typing Club. This allows me, as the teacher, to assign various lessons for students to complete at a specifided rate and accuracy. Students can also go back and practice already completed lessons. From teacher view, I am able to see how much time each student has spent practicing-- daily, weekly and overall. I am also able to track their rate and level for each lesson.

     Typing will frequently be part of homework in the coming months. For now we'll be practicing in computer lab and students are welcome to practice on their own at home. We have practiced on this site in the computer lab, so they should all know their username and password. In case they don't it is their first name (lower case) followed by 144 (example: suzie144), password: ala144

alameda144.typingclub.com

Always make sure your fingers rest on home row. Do not use your pointer finger to type all the letters!
And remember: "You're not a bird, don't peck!" -Ms. Brown

**A great idea is to cover  your hands with a kitchen towel. That way your brian and fingers have to work together. You might start out not very good but you'll get really good at typing this way!
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Parent-Teacher Conference Survey

Fall Conferences give us a chance to discuss academic, behavioral and  social goals for your child. Please take a moment and complete this survey, so I can be better prepared for our discussion. Also, I will send home a conference reminder before the week's end stating the date and time our meeting is scheduled. I appreciate your partnership in helping your child have a successful 4th grade year!
Parent Conference Survey
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Upcoming Events

Wednesday, Oct. 7th

 

School Pictures: First thing in the morning, before our field trip, we will have our school pictures taken. If you're interested in purchasing pictures, please make sure you're child has brought in picture order form. There are extras outside our classroom door or in the office.

Tryon Creek Field Trip: We will leave at 9:30am to go to Tryon Creek where we will learn about water sheds and more. This field trip serves as an introduction to our upcoming science unit Land & Water. Please make sure you pack your child a lunch on this day as we will eat on site before returning back to school.

Tuesday, Oct. 13th

Run for the Arts: Students will run Tuesday afternoon in our annual Run for the Arts event. Pledge sheets are due Monday, Oct. 12th. If you're interested in helping tally during the event please let me know. I'm looking for 3-4 parent volunteers.

Typing Club

alameda144.typingclub.com

Student Post Aug 31-Sept 4 By Ellie

Last week one of the things we did in P.E. was we learned to play four square.  There were three squares, one square was more beginner, the second square was more intermediate and the third one was more advanced. We enjoyed doing this because it was fun to learn and get better at it so we can play with our friends.

Another thing we did last week in music was we learned about Duke Ellington. He was a famous musician and we watched a video of one of his concerts. We enjoyed this because there wasn't a lot of singing so we could here the instruments better.

Last week one of the things we did in writing was our I am the one who poems. We took diffrent categories, for example I am the one who sees and wrote what we see but in a more detailed way. It was fun to  learn about other people.

by Ellie Johnson

Specials Schedule

Day 1:           Music               9:20-9:50

Day 2:           Library             9:00-9:50

Day 3:           PE                     9:20-9:50

Day 4:           Music               9:20-9:40

Day 5:           Computers      9:50-9:30

                      Art                    12:35-1:15

Day 6:           PE                     9:20-9:50

e/o Tues:      Guidance        1:00-1:30

Welcome Back

Dear Students and Families,

            It’s that time of year again, school has begun!  Although it is always sad to see summer come to an end, I am very excited to begin the 2015-16 school year and share in your 4^th grade experience.

On a Personal Note:

This will be my sixth year teaching 4^th grade at Alameda.  Over the past years I have enjoyed getting to know and working with our Alameda families, and feel grateful to be a part of this wonderful community.

I am an Oregonian and have lived in Portland for fourteen years. I moved here for college and fell in love with this city! I used to wish it’d stop raining, now I look forward to days under 90 degrees! Nevertheless, I can’t imagine living anywhere else. Outside of teaching I enjoy staying active through running, hiking and other recreational sports. I also enjoy watching the Blazers and Timbers play. Yet the things dearest to my heart are my family and friends.

           

The Coming School Year:

As the school year approaches I’m sure you’re curious what our year will hold. It will no doubt be filled with new and old friends, fun activities, and new experiences as we learn together.  In addition to improving our writing, reading, and math skills we will be learning about both Oregon’s geography and history, as well as exploring science topics such as electricity, bones and skeletons, and much more!

Communication:

Throughout the year my desire is to keep parents informed about classroom activities. This will happen first through your student. Please ask your child about their experiences and what they are learning on a daily and weekly basis. I personally will communicate with you through two main avenues- email and blog. I will use the classroom blog www.alameda144.blogspot.com as my primary mode of communication. I will post important upcoming classroom and school events, new units of study we will begin, and students will also post about weekly content we are covering. In addition to the blog I use email. Please make sure I have your preferred email address so that you receive updates without delay

Water and Snack:

Water is vital to learning!  Up to 60 percent of the human body is water, and our brains are composed of 70 percent water.  I would like for all students to have a water bottle on their desk, making it easier for them to drink throughout the day.  Please send one to school with your child during the first week of school (no twist off lids please!).

We have a daily 5-10 minute break mid-morning. If your child gets hungry at this time of day, please send them to school with simple and nutritious snack.

I look forward to an amazing year ahead!

    Sincerely,

Julie Brown  

Dismissal Proceedures

Bus:

• Students who ride the bus need a bus tag. If there is not one already printed for your child on the first day of school, please fill out a blank tag. Bus tags need to be attached to the student’s backpack.

Walking Home:

• Please write a note, sign and date specifying it is ok for your child to walk home on a given day. If you’d like to send me an email please do so before school starts that day.
• If your child walks home regularly please send me an email stating which days will be regular walking days. If your child walks home on days other than regular walking days, please write a note for those occasions.

Parent or Guardian pick-up:

• 4^th grade dismisses by the tetherball pole on the east side of the playground.
• For safety, your child must check out with me before leaving, confirming we both see the adult picking them up.
• If someone other than you is picking your child up, I need a note, singed and dated by you, specifying who will pick up your child. I am ok with emails but they must be received before school starts on that given day (its not guaranteed I will check my email during the school day).

Please let me know if you have any questions about dismissal procedures.

5th Grade Band (from Mr. Cheek)

Band is open to all 5^th grade students, regardless of previous experience. We meet Tuesday through Friday day at 3:00 until 3:35. I ask for a small fee for the class, $75.00 for the full year. I will collect the fee when band starts. This is a great deal compared to over $500 a year for MUSE which is a program at schools that don’t have in house band programs (Irvington for example). This does not include instrument rental. If this is a hardship for your family, please let me know and we’ll work something out.  No one is ever turned away for financial reasons. Band fees are used for clinicians, sheet music and materials, etc.

Instruments can be rented from any one of several music stores in the area, including Music Village in Raleigh Hills, Portland Music on Broadway, Beacock’s Music in Vancouver, Wally’s Music, Lakeside Music and others.  PPS does have a limited number of less expensive instruments for rent, but they are well-used, and students on the free/reduced lunch program are given priority to rent them. PPS does not have any saxophones available at this time, only flutes, clarinets, trumpets and trombones.

But- don’t rent yet!  At the beginning of the year, students will be given the opportunity to try instruments and see which they can have an interest for. Once we are done with our experimenting, students will work with me to select the best choice for them. The band will be made up of trumpets, trombones, flutes, clarinets, saxophones (tenors and altos) a percussion section and three electric basses and two electric guitars.

Attendance and Safety Patrol- If a student wishes to do safety patrol I prefer for them to do it in the morning. I know some students may have a conflict on a certain day of the week, and if they need to miss one day a week, we can still make it work.  Two days out of class every week would be more problematic. Please let me know if your student will be absent from class on a regular basis. I will notify you when band will start. It should be about the third week of school. The play is not a problem. I still have band then with a smaller group and it gives the other kids a little break.

Signing Up- Send an e-mail to me with your student’s name, your name, phone number and any special medical needs.  If you don’t have e-mail, you can leave this information in the Alameda office for me.  The best e-mail address for me is:   tomdcheek@gmail.com

I am happy to answer any questions that you have- and I am looking forward to another great year of band.

Sincerely, Tom Cheek

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Field Day & Jr. Rose Parade

Not only is this the second to last week of school but it's a busy week as well. We're finishing up our Oregon Trail journey and are doing our science work sample on electricity! In addition, the Jr. Rose Parade is Wednesday and Field Day is Friday.

Jr Rose Parade: If your child will be attending the parade please return the form sent home yesterday. This lets me know who will be going, what time and with whom. Please do not email about the parade, instead return this form. 

Field Day: Please make sure your child dresses appropriately for field day, it's forecast to be a warm day. Also, make sure they have a water bottle they can take outside with them!

Spring Open House

Just a reminder that this Wednesday, May 27th, is Alameda's Spring Open House. Happenings will start at 6:30 in the cafeteria with a band concert, this is a great opportunity for those who are interested in previewing band for next year. Then from 7-8pm the classroom will be open to display student work. At 7:30 we will be perform our Lewis & Clark Rap. If you come at the beginning it'd be great if you could stay for this, and if you can't make it till later it'd be great if you were able to be there by 7:30. Its a short 3 minute performance and worth seeing!

Hope to see you all Wednesday!
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End of the Year Party!

Dear Parents,

As an end of the year celebration, Mrs. Caton, Ms. Brown, and Mrs. Largo will be hosting a rotating Fiesta on Wednesday, June 10th.  Classes will rotate to four different activities - three lead by teachers and one by parents.

The parent-lead activity will be a snack.  Listed below are the food and party supplies needed in order to provide snack for all three classes.

Requested Food Items: (sign-up link below)

Baby Carrots – 8 small bags
Washed Strawberries – 8 quart sized container
Washed Grapes cut into smaller bunches – 4 bags
Regular Tortilla Chips – 12 bags
Gluten Free Tortilla Chips – 2 bags
Mild Salsa – 12 regular sized containers
Costco chocolate chip cookies – 6 18-pack containers
Individually Packed Drinks – 96
Plates – 100

If you are able to donate, please sign up on the Fiesta Google Doc.  Please bring your donated items at 1:00pm on the day of the event.  Set-up for snack will be from 1:00-1:30pm under the covered area.

Also, if you're interested in volunteering during the party, please sign up on the Fiesta Google Doc​.  Parent volunteers are not needed until 1:00pm for set-up.  Snack will begin at 1:30pm, and we’d love some parents to be able to stay after snack to help with clean-up.

Thank you in advance for all of your help and support.

Sincerely,

   Mrs. Caton                       Mrs. Largo                             Ms. Brown
ccaton@pps.net              alargo@pps.net                     jbrown5@pps.net

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Oregon Trail Homework

1) Follow this Oregon Trail Homework Link to complete tonight's homework
2) Click on "Historic Sites"
3) Complete tonight's homework!
4) If you want to find more information than what this site provides you're welcome to do a web search

Hip Hop Dance Performance!

Our class has had some amazing performances lately! They wowed the crowd with their hip-hop dance two weeks ago and again on our Oregon Trail field trip with the song Wagons West. I'm so proud of their hard work practicing the dance and how well they did! If you didn't get a chance to see it or just want to watch again, take a look below!

(For a video with a little better resolution click here, I believe you can download it as well)

Oregon Trail Overnight

The Oregon Trail Overnight is Thursday, and I couldn't be more excited!  This trip has always stood out as two of the most amazing days for our fourths graders.  I'm sure that this year will be no exception.  As you help your child prepare for the trip, please use the packing list that went last week as a guide for what to bring as well as what not to bring. 

A few things to keep in mind...

1.  Eating a good breakfast on Thursday morning:
Please make sure that your child eats a good breakfast.  They may not have a snack until lunch as we'll be traveling and getting situated at camp.  They will be busy, mentally and physically, for two days and must have enough fuel to keep going.

2.  Dress with layers:
Please make sure that your child wears layers.  The weather can change quickly, and we are outside for most of our time at camp.  There are only certain times that students can access their clothing items, so they should be able to add and subtract layers on the go.  For example, upon arrival they will be outside without access to their clothing for the first hour or so.  I think we'll be pretty lucky this year with the weather, but it's always better to be prepared and comfortable!  Although it likely won't be raining, the ground may still be muddy from past rain, so wear appropriate shoes.

3.  Medications:
Be sure to bring medications to Ms. Brown when you drop your child off tomorrow morning.  MEDICATIONS MUST BE IN THEIR ORIGINAL CONTAINER OR THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED ON THE TRIP AND WILL NOT BE GIVEN TO YOUR CHILD.

4.  Packing with large plastic bags:
The kids are instructed to pack their belongings in large plastic bags.  The main reason for this is that upon arriving our bags are unloaded and left outside until for awhile.   If it's raining (or if the ground is still muddy from past rains) the bags will protect our clothes and sleeping supplies from getting soaked.  Both bags should be labeled with masking or duct tape that states your child's name (first and last) and ALAMEDA.  Bags sometimes get ripped, so please pack an extra bag or two. 

5.  Lunch for Thursday:
Please make sure your child packs a lunch for Thursday, labeled with their first and last name.  Do not pack their lunch with other belongings.  We'll transport our lunches in our regular lunch tubs to and from the camp.  If your child is getting a sack lunch from the cafeteria, please remind them to grab that before coming to class Thursday morning.

6.  Pick-Up on Friday:
We are scheduled to return to Alameda around 1:30pm.  Once we unload the bus and bring all bags back to the classroom we'll have a recess.  The kids normally need this time, especially after being crammed on a bus.  Also, it gives them time to socialize and talk about their fun experience.  If you'd like to pick your child up early, you are welcome to do so.  However, you must check your child out of school in the office before getting them from the classroom or playground.  If you're not planning on picking up early, school will let out at 3:00pm as normal.  Students who normally ride the bus will need other arrangements as their bags will be too much to carry and fit on the buses.

This is all that I can think of right now.  If anything else pops in my head, I'll let you know.  Feel free to email for any last minute questions as you're packing. 

thanks,

Julie Brown
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Oregon Trail Packing List

Dear Families,

The time has come to prepare for the Oregon Trail Overnight.  The following is a list of what your child needs to pack and what he/she is not to bring.

We will leave school at 9:00 am on Thursday, May 7^th and return between 1:30-2:30 pm on Friday, May 8^th. Your child will need a sack lunch for the first day. Everything in the lunch needs to be disposable.  Please write your child’s name on their lunch sack.

Clothing: (Please remember to label all clothing and bedding with your child’s name AND school) Students will carry their own bags so pack accordingly. Students may dress “pioneer style” if they wish. This may mean jeans and boots, or girls may wear long skirts (please wear warm clothes under skirts). Keep in mind that layers work best: long underwear, shirt, sweatshirt, warm jacket, and a coat (think layers). 

Students should bring the following (Pack in a large plastic garbage bag. Use masking tape and a marking pen to write the student’s name and school on the garbage bag. You should use an extra-thick garbage bag – thin bags tear too easily):

• One full change of clothes besides what is worn on the first day
• Jeans or heavy pants (girls may substitute a long skirt, but we will be outside most of the day so make sure they’ll be able to stay warm)
• Shirt or blouse
• Warm jacket
• Underwear
• Extra shoes or boots
• Raincoat or poncho (You can find emergency rain ponchos for under $2.00 at some stores)
• Gloves
• Sweater or sweatshirt
• Socks (extra pairs are a good idea!)
• Pajamas – something warm
• Lunch – packed separately from other gear
• Sleeping Gear: Students will be carrying all of their own gear and clothing – so pack accordingly! They will also be responsible for unpacking and repacking. Frequently the thin garbage bags rip, and bedding items can get wet.  You may want to send an extra garbage bag, pre-labeled.
• A sleeping bag or blankets and sheets – the cabins are heated.
• Pillow with pillow case

Personal Gear (put in a plastic bag or zip lock bag and store with clothes):

• Wash cloth
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste / floss
• Brush or comb
• Hand towel
• Soap
• Large plastic bag for wet or dirty items

**Please do NOT bring the following: money, cellular phones, radios/Ipods, electronic games, virtual pets, comic books, pocket knives, jewelry, card games, matches, curling irons, make-up or anything to eat (besides the lunch mentioned above), including candy or gum. (An afternoon snack on the first day and all meals will be provided.) 

Medication

Place all medication needed by your child into a Ziploc bag labeled with your child’s name, school and teacher’s name. Give the medication directly to Ms. Brown first thing in the morning on May 7^th. **Medication must be in original container! The directions on the prescription label must match exactly what you wrote on the parent/guardian authorization on your child’s health history form.

If you have any questions, please contact me.