How many fourth graders fit in the back of a Honda Element? Students pondered that question for awhile until they made predictions ranging from five to seventeen. In Math we call that estimation, and with a range that wide, only one thing remained to do. That's right, pop that hatch and climb in one after another until the car fills up. Now, just to be clear, no actual ride was taken since seat belts were lacking, and a ticket or an unsafe trip with nine and ten year olds was not part of the lesson plan. At least not in their teacher's plan. Some did, in fact, think a trip to McDonalds or Hollywood Beach was in order. We stayed in the Franklin parking lot, however.

We managed to cram ten fourth graders in the back of the Honda when all was said and done. Probably a few more would have fit, but this is fourth grade and not the college days of yesteryear when some scholars thought it a good idea to see how many freshman would fit in a phone booth or Volkswagon Beetle. These students will have to wait awhile for that experience.

A perfect day for a field trip! Our class walked to and from the Vern Burton Center in Port Angeles last Friday to attend the children's show at the Juan de Fuca Festival. Despite our preparations for inclement weather, the sun insisted on shining for the duration of our mile long walk. After the show we took time for a picnic lunch on the manicured grounds outside the city council chambers. Passing motorists on both legs of the journey gave us wide birth to cross streets safely. On another note, Room 17 will keep its goldfish who have inhabited our classroom for at least five or six years!

Using cubes to understand volume of three dimensional shapes, fourth graders construct rectangular prisms at their desks last week. On Monday we will walk to the high school to see the play "And Then They Came For Me: Remembering Anne Frank." We're looking forward to some good exercise to make us healthier as well as an interesting, informative play production.

This Thursday is Poem in Your Pocket Day. The idea is to tuck a favorite poem into your back pocket to share with classmates, family members, and school staff. Poetry lovers across the country have come up with clever ways to celebrate.

Here in Room 17 we will use Poem In Your Pocket Day to entice students into the world of verse. Most of the fourth-graders have pockets that easily accessible so if someone asks to see an original poem or a copied favorite from one of our students in the hall on the way to recess or lunch, sharing a poem becomes a simple matter of reaching and reading.

Are fourth-graders the only people allowed to carry poems tomorrow? Not hardly. Here's the poem I'll be carrying around with me tomorrow:

The Rainy Day
Longfellow
 
The day is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
The vine still clings to the moldering wall,
But at every gust the dead leaves fall,
And the day is dark and dreary.
My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
My thoughts still cling to the moldering Past,
But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast
And the days are dark and dreary.
Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary.

That's rigtht, it's a cypress tree in the Van Gogh painting in the front of the room over the calendar. The bonus question was answered corretly this morning.This afternoon we'll begin the new Science unit, Life Structures, by making a classroom planter where we'll sprout seeds and learn about plant biology.We're also finishing up our latest art project, 'Landscapes in the Style of Van Gogh."

Fractions, central tendency(averages, medians, modes, ranges, etc.), double digit multiplication, long division, and decimals are parts of the broad Math curriculum in fourth grade this year.

Let's put some prepositional phrases in this week's story about someone who is good at a sport. In fact, try starting a sentence with a phrase, eg. "Under the glare of the cranky referee, Ruth waited anxiously for the inbounds pass from Rebecca who was standing as still as a statue." A simile or two in this piece of writing will add some good detail, too.

Friday

Oral presentations continue in Room 17 as the fourth-graders share anecdotes about relatives from their Family History Report project. Everybody has a story (or two), and we appreciate hearing and reading them. The family recipes are pretty good, too!

Long division: divide, multiply, subtract, bring down (rinse and repeat)!

Thanks for the Valentine's Day card!

Friday

The correct name is 'Rosie the Riveter' from the famous WWII poster. Chanelle brought in the answer this morning. Good researching!

We are studying magnetism in Science, and the kids are learning about the forces of attraction, repulsion, and induced magnetism. The study of electricity is coming soon to Room 17! Have a good weekend!

Wednesday

Fractions and Division....lots of practice helps! Next time you have a pizza, try talking about the pieces as fractions of the whole pizza. Eggs might not be as popular as pizza, but the cartons work great for talking about fractions, too.

The kids should finish up their interviews, rough drafts (three or more pages from the interviews), and have a good start on the family tree. Then they'll be in good shape to finish up the project by the end of the month for the due date.

Thursday

Our 'Math Club With Jack' continues on Wednesdays this new year as an after school program for extra help with Math Facts and the ever-challenging effort to learn fractions. Jack Foote is a retired teacher from Port Angeles who taught Science and Chemistry at Port Angeles High School for many years.

Work continues on our Family History Reports this week as the kids learned how to turn interview notes into rough drafts on notebook paper. We decided that each family member interviewed (a minumum of three) deserved at least one hand-written page. They also received folders to keep all the report assignments and materials as that volume grows over the following weeks. Remember, the reports are due at the end of this month.

Bonus Question: 'Which is larger, 5/6 or 4/3?'

Thursday

"Do you remember being that little?" I asked the fourth-graders last Tuesday when we had the opportunity to work with "kindergarten buddies" down the hall here at Franklin Elementary School. More than of few of this year's fourth-graders were our 'shorties' four years ago when they were in Mrs. Carlson's kindergarten class, and yes, they remembered. One of the many good things about a neighborhood school is the opportunity for cross age activities such as kindergarten buddies as it helps teach responsibility, leadership, and respect for a diverse community.

Wednesday

Smile for Picture Day tomorrow! Decisions, decisions...to wear a tie or go for the plain-shirt look...

Which city is nick-named Stumptown? Now we have a bonus question for the week.

Density. Yes, we're learning about water in Science and the kids did an activity with warm and cool water today and how those conditions affect water density.

Thursday

Lunch in the classroom! It's been about twenty years since we've had lunch in the classroom here in Room 17. That's a long time, but we adapt and move forward. Lunchtime is definitely quieter here than in the gym with smoother transitions to the afternoon's lessons.

What a nice group of fourth-graders! The kids are quickly learning the study habits that will help them throughout their school years and into their working lives. Putting names on papers, turning work in on time, bringing loose notebook paper, and being on time are major lessons of great importance. Let's try to bring in some news items or current events next week that will help us find out what's going on locally, nationally and worldwide. The reading practice is valuable, too. A few minutes practicing math facts at home several times a week goes a long way toward making Math easier, too.

School Starts Tomorrow!

I can't wait to meet all of you in Room 17 at Franklin tomorrow morning.

You might check the weather forecast in the newspaper (usually in section C) or on the television news (any local channel will do), and sometimes we follow the weather in Las Vegas and Portland just for fun. Feel free to take some notes on other interesting current events from newspapers, radio, or television. Then we can talk about them at school each morning.

Remember to bring a book for Silent Reading tomorrow morning (and every morning), along with some sharpened pencils and notebook paper. And, check out the "Room 17 Report" below for more information about your new classroom. See you soon!

Room 17 Report
Mr. Burnett's Class Franklin School Room 17
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

September 1, 2011

Dear Fourth Grade Student and Parents/Guardian:

I want to welcome you to the fourth grade and let you know that I am looking forward to having you in my class this year. You will have an enjoyable and productive year in our room!

You will need to have a book for silent reading at 8:10 each day. You may bring a book from home or find one in our classroom collection.

Since we believe that education is serious business, please do not bring any toys to school because they interfere with learning. Here are other rules you will be expected to follow:

1. Follow directions the first time they are given.
2. Stay in your seat unless given permission to leave
it.
3. Raise your hand and wait to be called on before
speaking.
4. Turn in all assignments on time.

HOMEWORK: Students are responsible for handing their homework in on time. Homework is due the following day and needs to be placed in the correct assignment box before the second bell when school starts. Homework generally consists of unfinished daily assignments, and I ask the students to read for at least fifteen minutes each evening. Occasionally, there will be homework projects that require more than one day to complete, and for these assignments I will give the students a due date.

WHEN ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE: Assignments are usually due the morning after they are assigned. If the assignment is not handed in, the student receives a 0 in the grade book for that assignment, so it is very important that all assignments are completed and turned in on time. Nothing lowers a report card grade faster than missing assignments. If a student is absent, he/ she will have at least two days to make up the assignments after checking with me to see which assignments to make up.

GRADING: No student will receive failing marks on their report card if their assignments are turned in on time and they are trying to do the assignments to the best of their ability. I will present more details on the new report card as they become available to me.

You will earn good grades as long as you listen well in class, follow directions the first time, and complete and turn in assignments on time.

HANDING ASSIGNMENTS BACK: Assignments and papers are returned to the student’s “mail box.” Students are responsible for getting their “mail” and taking it home to show their parents/ guardians. I encourage you to keep assignments rather than throw them away, at least through the end of the trimester. The projects, like the “Family History Report,” you will probably want to keep forever.

I hope some of your questions and concerns about this year have been answered in this letter. You can also check our Franklin website by accessing the Port Angeles School District website. Good communication will help each student succeed in fourth grade. Please contact me with any other questions and concerns.


Sincerely,
Mr. Burnett (565-1853)

Thursday

Along with the first rainstorm of Spring we are still reminded daily of the new season by the noisy frogs chirping away all over the Peninsula, even heard near the downtown streets of Port Angeles. The more obvious signs of Spring are just less obvious this year after a long, dark, and wet Winter that lingers on in our region.

What other signs, events, or rituals come with the start of Spring? Make a list or write a short essay about your favorite part of Spring and bring it to Room 17.

Tonight is the General Music concert starting at 6:30 PM here at Franklin. Students should arrive closer to 6 PM.

Tea and cupcakes for everyone yesterday....thanks to one of our sets of twins for having a birthday celebration with us!

Friday

So many cupcakes and cookies! Such great treats on Monday with lots of valentines exchanged.
As Presidents' Day approaches (no school Monday) the students are asked to find out what major historical events happened during the lives or presidencies of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Have a good weekend and remember to read for at least fifteen minutes each day!

Wednesday

The Family History Reports are due on Monday, January 31st. A sample bibliography is shown below. Most won't need to list a book as a source, but there is the format just in case. Tomorrow we'll work on the report covers in class.

No school on Friday...for students, that is.

Bibliography

1. Brown, Joe
December 21, 2010


2. Jones, Gina
January 1, 2011


3. Ireland, Its Land and People, Jones, Bill, pages 1-9

Friday

One of the traditions in Room 17, along with the Family History Report project, is making tea. This year, Wednesdays turn out to be the best time for our class to have a small cup (Mr. Coffee only makes about two liters so the portions are small but refreshing.) Several fourth graders have learned the procedures for making simple tea with tea bags, but next week they will have a chance to participate in our "loose tea workshop." They will learn the proper way to use a tea infuser with loose tea, a more economical and flavorful approach.

Next week we'll also learn how to make a bibliography for the Family History reports and the cover. Students should bring the red folders with all the report materials (cards, rough drafts of interviews, family trees, etc.) to class each day. The reports are due Monday, January 31st.

Thursday

We will sing the famous spiritual, "We Shall Overcome" while Judi Lindberg presents historic and biographical information tomorrow morning over Franklin's intercom so students and staff throughout the school will learn about the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights movement.

Equal rights for all citizens continues as a struggle in today's world, and making our students aware of the past can help them improve not only their own lives but also the lives of others. Those "others" are the people they will live and work with in their future.

Four of our Room 17 students are working on optional essays for the 'Martin Luther King Essay Contest.' Here is the prompt for this project: "Explain why Dr. King was special enough to have his own recognition day."

Interviews for the Family History Report project should be finished, and now the notes from those interviews should be written in sentences and paragraphs for the rough draft. Each of the three interviews should have its own page as a mininum. Maps and family trees come next so stay tuned and have a good weekend.

'Tis the season, and if antlers help you finish that essay about Saturdays...well, that's just alright. Some of the fourth graders think Saturday is the best day of the week so it makes a good topic for Writing.

Report cards went home with students on Wednesday, and we learned how to conduct interviews for the Family History Report Project. Here are some of the questions parents and other relatives may find themselves answering over the Winter Break.

1. Where were you born?
2. What were some of your favorite things to do when you were my age?
3. Tell me something about the schools you attended.
4. What are some of the jobs you've had?
5. Tell me an anecdote from your life.

The report isn't due until the end of January, but the interviews sometimes work best during the winter break when there are often more opportunities to talk to relatives. In January students will learn how to make a family tree, add pictures and collect a favorite family recipe among other things.

Join us for the Sing Along tomorrow afternoon in the gym.

Friday

Our fourth graders learn to write essays this year. This week they completed a rough draft on the topic Saturdays. Many chose the title: Why I Love Saturdays. Learning to write a strong opening paragraph followed by a few more paragraphs of elaboration, examples, and details takes time and concentration. Today we'll learn how to write a strong concluding paragraph to finish the rough draft. Then, next week, we move on to revision, editing and the final draft.

Below is an optional assignment for an essay contest.

Martin Luther King Jr. Essay Contest

Fourth Grade: Explain why Martin Luther ing Jr. was special enough to have his own recognition day.

Essays are due Friday, January 28, 2011.