Thank you to everyone who contributed to their class basket. The baskets are put together and look beautiful! You may see them, along with their content lists, by visiting the Media Center or go to the Garrison Mill Educational Foundation’s website.

Baskets will be on display in the Media Center during the weeks of Nov. 16 and Nov. 30. Raffle tickets will be sold at this time also for $1 each, $10 for 12 tickets, and $20 for 25 tickets. **Get a FREE raffle ticket with every purchase of a Pancake Breakfast. The drawing will occur on Dec. 5 at the breakfast. You need not be present to win.

Good morning All,

This morning Firefighter Alan Land began our Fire Safety unit with the students. A fire safety booklet will be coming home tonight with your child. Please note there are two places for your signature once the assignments are completed ( pp. 3 and 11). The two homework assignments are due this Friday the 13th. Thank you for your assistance with this. A major portion of your child's heath grade will come from this unit for this 2nd nine weeks along with the drug unit we covered during Red Ribbon Week.

Our Fire Safety House Field trip is next Monday, Nov. 16th from 10-1. Please try to reschedule any appts. so your child will not miss out. It will be memorable! Sack lunches will be provided by the cafeteria or your child may bring his own lunchbox.

The students will be taking a post-test on November 30th. They have a pre-test that was corrected today in class to use as a study guide.

Reminder: Reading Projects are due this Thursday, Nov. 12th.

Have a great day,

Mrs. James

The Garrison Mill Foundation will have a basket raffle during the pancake breakfast. The Foundation has helped to equip each classroom with a Promethean board and a second computer lab so children can have weekly lessons.

Our class, along with Mrs. Hohn's class, is creating a Celebrate the Seasons basket. A $10 voluntary donation is being collected.  Mrs. Hamel  will purchase items and put the basket together for us. The deadline to make donations is Friday, October 30th. Your generosity is appreciated.

Thanks to everyone who has contributed so far. This is a friendly reminder if you would like to be part of this worthwhile class activity. Please send in your donation in a sealed envelope marked Attn: Mrs. Hamel tomorrow.

A great substitute teacher, Ava Simmons, is teaching while I am out sick. She told me the students are doing wonderfully in my absence, so I am very pleased and proud. Thanks to all the parents who donated materials and time for today's Halloween centers. I know the students will have a great time!

Red Ribbon Week has given me a nice platform for a health unit on drugs and alcohol and the students have been enjoying the various activities and dress up days related to the topics. Talking with our children about strategies to use when they are faced with peer pressure is key to giving them the confidence to "JUST SAY NO!"

Upcoming Tests:

Chapter 9 Math- next Thursday

Chapter 5 & 6 Science Test- Nov. 10th

Independent Reading Project -due Nov. 12th

Dear Parent(s),

I am reminded as we approach this weekend, that fall is the time for festivals. I hope you and your family can get out and enjoy all the fall activities available to us. FYI: Dahlonega's Gold Rush festival is tomorrow!

This week was exciting, as their first 4th grade report cards came home. They have been working hard, and I am impressed with the "smarts" being displayed daily in our classroom.

In Math, we are continuing to multiply with double and triple digits. A chapter 8 test will be given next Tuesday. All four Timed tests will be readministered on Monday to make sure our basic facts are still intact. Extra math HW will come home each night based on the results.

In Reading, we are finishing a short book, Dinosaur Hunters, and will have a short comprehension quiz early next week. Many students brought the book home to finish over the weekend.

In Writing, we are continuing to write, edit and revise works across the curriculum using juicy adjectives. Please write back in your child's Letter Home Journal over the weekend.

In Grammar, we incorporated Mountain Language this past week. I will begin taking a weekly grade on this next week.

In Spelling, we took a test over long and short vowel sounds ee, ea, and ai. A new Sort will focus on two-syllable words with vowel patterns: oy,oi,ou and ow. Sort 6 Test next Friday.

In Science, we are exploring Forces and Motion and will move into Simple Machines next week. (Chapters 5 and 6 in their textbook) The students surprised me with how they extend their data during lab time.

Thank you to our Mystery Reader, Shwetha Najaraj, Jayanth's mom, for playing a quiz game that challenged the students in many ways.

Reminders:

Sign report card and return in envelope.

Independent Reading Project idea sheet due Tuesday

Early Release Day Wednesday (12:20 dismissal)

Dr. Stasiak informed the students that GoGos and all other toys are banned from our classroom. Students were continually abusing the privilege to have them at recess only. Please check your child's backpack and help us keep the toys at home. Distractions really affect learning. Thank you in advance for your support.

Box Tops due Thursday

National School Bus Safety Week (Thank the drivers for all they do to keep children safe and remind students to talk quietly with their seat mates)

Have a wonderful Fall weekend,

Audra James

Hi Everyone,

I hope everyone's week is going well! A few things to keep us all on track.

In your child's agenda today, the only written homework due tomorrow is in science. The workbook pp. 86-93 should be attempted. They were given a new Reading Record to begin recording their next 500 pgs. for the 2nd nine weeks. You can keep this at home on the fridge or in their agenda pocket.

Their Chapter 7 Math test and Chapter 2 Social Studies test came home for you to see. Each question on the math test counted 10 points, but partial credit was given for work shown. Each question on the SS test counted 4 points and partial credit was given on the short answer items. They could earn up to seven extra credit points for a game and chart completed in class last week. Please initial the test and send them back by Friday, so I know you have gone over it with them.

Our Nine Week Celebration will be this Friday. Your students can bring in G-rated movies for our class and Mrs. Hohn's class to vote on for the celebration. Those students having less than 13 markouts on the yellow sheet in their blue Thursday folder can attend this reward.

Items needed: popped popcorn in baggies, full-sized candy bars, and cans of soda. Some of you volunteered these items during Sneak a Peek and Open House. THANK YOU! If you would like to donate items feel free as we can use them throughout the year!

Reminders:

Brusters Ice Cream tonight 5-8 pm

Picture Day Friday ( order forms come home tomorrow)

Thanks for your attention,

Audra James

Dear Parent(s):

 Our first major Social Studies Test is tomorrow over Chapter 2. Your child should have been studying all week using their textbook, Practice Book pp.8-13, handouts, and USA Weekly Studies newspaper. They came home with a chart that we completed in class together that you can quiz them with tonight. Thanks for all the support coming from home.

Reading Records are due Tuesday, Oct. 6th. Your child should have read 500 pages this 9 week period. (includes reading in class)

The grading period ends Thursday, Oct. 8th and you should be looking for report cards to come home on Thursday, Oct. 15th.

Due to my 3 day absence recently, I will accept all make-up work by Monday, Oct. 5th. The children worked hard while I was gone and kept on track with our standards.

In Math, we will be ready for our Chapter 7 Test on Tuesday, Oct. 6th.

In Writing, we are working on Descriptive Essays titled, My Special Place....The students are learning more about using JUICY adjectives to make their writing more interesting. We will be writing final copies next week in cursive

Hope to see many of you tomorrow night between 5-8 pm for the Fun Run and Fall Festival. Please take a look at all the flyers that came home today in the Thursday folder. Tally Sheets need initials for Sept. 24th and Oct. 1st by tomorrow.

Silly sock and sneaker day along with wear your class shirt (yellow : came home today) is tomorrow as well!

Fall is full of Fun!

Thanks,

Mrs. James

Dear Parent(s),

I hope everyone is enjoying the weather. As you might expect, the student's rain gauges have overflowed multiple times.

Thank you to Mrs. Cassedy for being our "mystery reader" on Friday.

Upcoming this week:

Progress Reports are due Monday with a parent signature. I will return the report to you along with any assignments that need to made-up by Friday, 9/25. Letter Home Journals also came home Friday, so please write back or initial for tomorrow.

Sort 3 Spelling Test is scheduled for Monday, but I would like to postpone until Tuesday to ensure better success. The students are not used to studying over the weekend yet. Sort is found on pg. 13 of their Word Study Notebooks.

Our Social Studies test will be Friday, 9/25. A study guide will come home Tuesday at the latest and will be due on Thursday. We will cover the last lesson tomorrow and spend the rest of the week reviewing and studying in class.

We will begin writing a Narrative Essay this week. The final copy will be published in cursive. Your students are improving in this discipline, and I would like to give them an opportunity to showcase their penmanship.

Looking forward to a great week,

Mrs. James

Dear Parent(s):

Your students worked hard last week! They are showing some promising writing skills and math skills! We began a unit in Social Studies on the Paleo-Indians who came across the Bering Strait. I was impressed with their spelling tests too!

GM Dinner and a Movie Night was loads of fun! I enjoyed seeing Hunter T. and meeting his younger brothers and grandmother. I hope to see many of you at the Fall Festival coming up Oct. 3rd.  Thanks to Mr. Singer for visiting as our mystery reader last Friday!

Highlights for the week:

Tuesday - Math Quiz over Order of Operations and Using Symbols for Unknowns (Sections 6.2 and 6.3 in Text and Workbook)

Wednesday- Independent Reading Projects are due

Thursday- Benchmark Language Arts: Grammar Assessment (Study Guide will come home Monday!

Progress Reports come home in Thursday folders!

FYI: Spelling Test is moved to Thursday.

        Letter Home Journals will come home tomorrow.

        For Social Studies HW p.8 in workbook, refer to pp. 36-43 in textbook. We read pp. 36-40 in class and discussed.

        Math Worksheet 2.8 front and back. Initial after 30 min. of focused attention. I did not want to send math textbook home to load them down.

Thank you to everyone for helping me celebrate my birthday. I will enjoy my supply of Chai Teas, Coke Zeroes and dinner at a nearby Mexican restaurant. A special thank you to Robin Singer for the delicious and adorable cupcake cake with blue frosting (my favorite color)! I appreciate all your students hand-made cards and well wishes! Very special!

Dear Parent(s),

    I hope everyone is enjoying the Labor Day holiday weekend!

Our 4 day week will be filled with activity! The Spelling Sort 2 test was rescheduled from last Friday to this Wednesday 9/9. In Math we will be learning about Order of Operations and having a test on Friday. We will begin a new unit in Social Studies so be looking for this workbook and textbook to begin coming home. Science Tests will be graded and coming home on Thursday 9/10. Our free verse poems are in the publication phase and should be displayed outside the classroom by the end of the week. Letter Home Journals did not come home Friday due to time constraints, so please look for them to come home tomorrow, Tues. 9/8.

Important Upcoming Dates:

Friday 9/11 Dinner and a Movie Night 6:30 pm

Thursday 9/18 Progress Reports

Friday 10/02 Fall Festival and Fun Run 5:00pm