Cultivating Minds Without Losing My Own

Join me on my Adventures in Elementary Education

Celebration of Reading

November21

This week we finished our first novel study for the year, The Chocolate Touch. As a culminating event, students presented projects they created based on our book study and we celebrated reading by partaking in a chocolate covered fruit party (since we are participating in the Healthy Schools initiative we did our best to keep it healthy)! Below are some pictures of our projects as well as our celebration.

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For our next novels, we will be breaking into literature circles (book clubs) and reading books selected at the students reading level to provide more of a challenge. We will be starting this in January.

Happy Halloween!

October31

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We got into the Halloween spirit today with some spookily (May have just made up word) yummy snacks and our annual costume parade. Below is the recipes for our ghoulish treats:

Pumpkin Smoothies:
Milk
Canned pumpkin
Banana (or plain yogurt either work well)
Honey
All spice
Blend all ingredients until smooth

Halloween Parfaits:
Vanilla yogurt layered with canned pineapple chunks and canned mandarin oranges

Banana Spiders
Banana chunks with pretzel sticks as legs

Remember to be safe for those if you trick or treating tonight! Wear bright colors or take flashlights and don’t eat candy until your parents check it!!!!!!

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Back to School Night Parent Information

September18

Wow!  What a great turn out for our annual Back to School Night!  I was very happy to meet all of the parents who were able to make it up to our classroom.  For those parents who were unable to attend, please see the Prezi below to be up to date on our classroom procedures.  I also sent home a classroom “cheat sheet” with the important websites, email addresses, and policies on them in your child’s work folder.  Please be sure to sign up for the Remind 101 text updates to stay aware of the upcoming important dates!  Text @mrssino to 856-517-0666 (not my real phone number!)

Mrs. Sinone’s Not Bummer Summer Challenge

June18

judy moody

 

Welcome to 4th grade!  I’m hoping you have a super-rare-not-bummer-summer!  To help us prepare for next year, I’ve created a Not Bummer Summer Challenge.  In the book, Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer,  Judy and her friends planned an awesome, adventure, and fun-filled summer.  Unfortunately, her friends left her for trips to camp and family vacations.  Judy felt  very left out and predicted that her summer was ruined until, with some help from her aunt and brother, she realized she could have a Not Bummer Summer at home too.  I’m giving you the opportunity to earn some Cool Points this summer that you can use next year as extra credit on tests, towards ipad or computer time, or for other reward opportunities in class.  Here’s how you can earn your cool points:

  1.  At least once a week draw a picture and write at least 1 paragraph about something awesome you did each week. ~10 cool points
  2. Read the book Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer and create a collage in your notebook of all pictures that would make your summer Super Rare! ~10 cool points.
  3. If you have internet access, Visit my Blog www.cultivatingmindswithoutlosingmyown.com and click on the link for Moby Max and brush up on your skills!  Your user name is your first name and your password is also your first name (no caps) ~10 cool points for every badge you earn!
  4. Practice your multiplication time tables by having an adult or older sister or brother write problems in your notebook for you to solve. ~10 cool points.
  5. Visit a relative or neighbor and offer to help them with a chore.  Write about it or have the person you helped write what you did in your notebook ~10 cool points for each person you help.

Just like in the book and movie, keep your eyes peeled for me around town.  Find me and have me take our first 4th grade selfie and you earn 50 cool points!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can’t wait to get to work with each of you next year!  I hope you have an awesome summer and can’t wait to hear about all your super-rare fun times!

All Not Bummer Summer Journals are due back the first day of school!

Where Did the Year Go?

June3

Holy moly, it’s June!  Where has the time gone?  We are spending this week getting ready for our musical, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.  Many of the students from our class are participating as special soloists and actors.  I am really looking forward to seeing all of their hard work pay off on the stage!  We also have a number of students who will be performing with the band.  I had a chance to listen to some of their rehearsal yesterday and was quite impressed!

willy wonka

In addition to  prepping for the play, we are also wrapping up some of our end of the year assessments.  While that sounds like we are done learning for the year, the truth couldn’t be further from that!  We will spend the rest of this year prepping for 5th grade!  I am so impressed with the progress this class has made this year!

 

Easing Test Anxiety- Tips to Help Your Child Feel Prepared and Stress Free on Test Days

May5

It’s that time of year again- NJASK time.  We will be testing from Monday, May 12th to Friday, May 16th.  The first two days will be focused on Language Arts, the second two days on Math, and the final day on Science.  While this one week out of the entire year really shouldn’t get the fanfare that it does as it is only one of MANY ways students are assessed each year, it still manages to cause unnecessary stress and anxiety for many (teachers too!).  There are many things you can do at home to help prepare your child for the test each day.  Below are a few easy tips to help make next week less stressful!

Tip #1- Get a Good Night’s Sleep!

good sleep

 

As if testing and sitting still for the morning isn’t hard enough, imagine doing that while tired!  Try to get between 7-8 hours of sleep the night before the test.  Wake up on time so that you don’t feel rushed or panicked as you start your day.

Tip #2- Eat a Healthy Breakfast!

healthy breakfast

Try to avoid sugary cereals or treats in the morning.  The sugar may give you energy initially, but it will cause you to tire out quickly!  Also, try not to eat too large of a breakfast if you are not used to that.  We don’t want to have to worry about a sore stomach while we are giving our brain a workout!

Tip #3- Wear Comfortable Clothes!

comfy clothes

Make sure you keep an eye on the weather report and dress appropriately.  You don’t want to be too hot or too cold.  You can bring a lightweight hoodie to wear if you think you will be chilly, but you will not be permitted to wear heavy coats.  Also, remember you will be sitting for the majority of the morning.  Wear clothes that will be comfortable around the waist.  I suggest sweats or elastic waist bottoms and loose, comfortable fitting tops.

Tip #4- Don’t Spend Too Much Time on Any One Problem

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Pace yourself!  If you begin to get frustrated with a question, skip it and come back to it if time allows.

Tip #5- Use ALL of the Time Given!

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Remember if you finish early to go back and check your work.  Did you use the Writer’s Checklist?  Did you answer every question?  Did you record your answers in the correct spot?  Can you add anything to your written responses or open ended questions?

Tip #6- TRY YOUR BEST!

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Remember this is just one test!  You’ve learned everything you need to complete this throughout the year.  Your teachers are rooting for you!  WE KNOW YOU CAN DO THIS!

As parents we often feel helpless during test week.  Please keep a positive attitude and encourage your child to try their best as that’s all they can do!  Also, when your child comes home,  if the weather  and your schedule allow, please give them some down time to decompress!  Let them play!  I will not be assigning homework at all next week as we are working super hard all day.  We will be working a fun science activity in the afternoons- dissecting owl pellets!  If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your child’s teacher!

 

Virtual Field Trip to the Plimoth Plantation to Attend the First Thanksgiving

November24

This week we will be taking a trip way back in time to the first Thanksgiving. Ok, I did not develop a time machine (though that would be AMAZING and I would so take a year off to re-examine life choices and visit places I’ve read about ), rather we will be using the amazing site put together by one of my favorite publishers, Scholastic. We will be visiting the settlers and the Wampanoag Native American tribe to learn about life for children at the beginning of our country’s exisistance. Students will be using the information they gather to write their next full length writing piece comparing and contrasting Thanksgiving now with the First Thanksgiving.

Take a peek at the website we will be using curtesy of Scholastic.com:

Thanksgiving Historical Investigation

In addition to this investigation we will be wrapping up out math topic 10 with a quiz on Tuesday.
Also a reminder that our Attitude of Gratitude journals are due on Wednesday for a Social Studies test grade!

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Happy First Day of Fall! Weekly Learning Goals for 9/23-9/27

September22

fallHappy Fall!  I love this time of year!  Cooler temperatures, back to routines, leaves changing colors, and of course a reason to buy new boots are some of the reasons this is one of my favorite times of the year!  We are continuting on our journey through 4th grade this week.  We will be hosting the Basic Skills Teachers on Tuesday as they conduct Sweeps testing.  This testing is one of the criteria we use to identify and create plans for students who may be struggling in either math or language arts.  We will also be wrapping up our 2nd math unit this week.  Please take a few minutes to take a peek at our learning goals for this week and the attached videos/presentations to help your child prepare for class.  You may also access any of the videos used on this site in the archives to the right.

Math:

Monday and Tuesday- Students will be using place value skills to order and compare numbers.  Lesson 3-4 and 3-5

Wednesday- Students will be using organized lists to help them keep track of information as they solve problems. Lesson 3-6

Thursday- Topic 3 Test

Friday- Students will be using mental math strategies to help them solve addition and subtraction problems.  Lesson 4-1 and 4-2

Lanugage Arts:

We will be working on putting the events of a story in the correct sequence this week.  In addition to that goal we will be working on writing our autobiographies (thanks for helping your child fill out the packet and returning it!).  As a way to make our writing better we will be working on adding figurative language .  Our goal is to include similies and metaphors to make our writing pop.

 

I Want to Hear You ROAR This Year!

September2

Each year I choose a theme song for our class to help guide us and motivate us on our educational journey.  This year for the Class of 2022 I have chosen Katy Perry’s new song “Roar.”  I chose this song for a couple of reasons.  It is extremely motivational!  Nothing will keep us down!  We can do anything!  No matter how small or insignificant we feel, we have the power to prove our ability and let others know we are here.  We can ROAR!  Ok, it also has a great beat and I can’t help but sing at the top of my lungs and dance every time I hear it!  So to my new 4th graders, the future Class of 2022, I ask- are you ready to ROAR this year?

R- Really work hard, try our best, ask questions, challenge ourselves

O- Our best effort will shine through each day!

A- Always learn!  Everyday!

R- Remember I am here for you!  Remember we are here for each other!

 

Welcome to the 4th Grade Class of 2013-2014!

August25

Summer is ending (BOOOOOOOO!) but a wonderful new school year is almost here!  I am so excited to be teaching 4th grade again this year!  We have so many awesome adventures ahead of us!  Sophie the Hedgehog and I would like to welcome the class of 2013-2014 to room 11:

Calem Bowman

Rachel Brisbone

Rashem Bryant

Tanaiya Cephas

Janisa Clark

Kavasia Coles

Gage Culp

Benjamin Davis

Mark Green

Niyasia Jenkins

Micah Love

Alayjiah Medina

Alzavier Ortiz

Mackenzie Parsons

Ashley Spinney

Cindia Torres-Rosado

2013-2014 Supply List

2 Marble Composition Notebooks (1 for math and 1 for Language Arts)

5 pocket folders with prongs (1 for each subject)

1 box of pencils

1 box of thin markers, crayons, or colored pencils 

5 one subject notebooks (1 for each subject for classwork)

a family photo (because we are ALL family 🙂

We can’t wait to meet all of you and begin learning together!  We have a new reading series this year and a TON of new apps on our ipads to work with!  I hope you are ready to jump into learning- it’s going to be a WILD ride!

sophie

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