Updates for the week, Winter Party Information, and More!

Hello, families!

This is such a busy time of year! I want to make sure information is communicated as clearly as possible for upcoming activities and dates to know. Here are some reminders:

• Our school GeoBee will be January 17 at 10:10. Please encourage your child to work on the review packet and the app in class or at home to prepare for the preliminary test, which will be when we get back from winter break. 
• Your kiddo could be showcased in one of these pictures on the right...have your student bring in a wrapped book up until winter break!
• Secret Santa gifts are due Tuesday, Dec. 17. Please email me to let me know if you need support in getting your child's gift. I am happy to help! We will reveal on Friday, Dec. 20.
• This Friday, Dec. 13 is Holiday Day! Have your child dress as festive as possible to celebrate the upcoming holidays. 
• Please return donations ASAP to our classroom for our holiday activities. We will be using them very shortly! If you are interested in making 50 sugar cookies for cookie decorating next week, please email me!!
• If you want to support our Holiday Party, which will be next Friday, Dec. 20, here is a link to the wish list for that. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050548aaa623a02-rbe4th
• There will be a note in Friday folders this week about snacks. After participating in Mizzou's Nutrition course over the past couple of months, our class is pledging to bring healthier snacks for snack time starting in January. Please help support this by sending your kid with a healthier option, rather than cookies, chips, or other junk food. Students will be asked to take unhealthy snacks back home if they come to school. Thank you for your support with this. 

Thank you all for everything you do! Stay warm!

Mary Sanders

Updates from Room 25!

Good afternoon!
I hope this post finds you well. I enjoyed seeing a lot of families at the Chicken BBQ last weekend. Thank you for supporting our great school! Here are a few reminders and points to make note of:
- Tuesday, Oct. 29 we will be going to the Science Center and Zoo in St. Louis. We will leave at 7:45 and return at 4:45. Please make sure your child has a plan of how he/she is getting home. If your child is going home with another student, please make sure I have a note for that. If you are attending the trip and meeting us at the zoo, you are welcome to sign your kid out and take them home from the zoo.
- Wednesday, Oct. 30 is our 4th grade fall party! There is a sign-up for that and it can be found at this link.
- There will not be homework or Friday folders next week, since it is a short, funky week.
- I will be organizing conference times and getting those to you sometime next week.

Thank you for your support! Please let me know of any questions you have!
- Mary

Conferences, Reminders, and Updates!

Good afternoon, families!
We have been working so hard in room 25! Here are some updates for you:

- Parent-teacher conferences will be held the week of November 11-14. Please be on the look out for the time preference form coming home in Friday folders next week!

- The students have been diving right in to our Benchmark Literacy Units and have enjoyed the different aspects of the program. I am excited to show you what we've been working on at our conference in November.

- We will have our Unit 2 math test next Tuesday, October 15. We will have a review day this Friday, October 11 and the review will be sent home with your student, and then we also will have review stations on Monday. The review guide has the same kinds of problems as the test does.

- Black and Gold day is Friday, October 11 to celebrate Mizzou's Homecoming this weekend

- Our class will have a Music celebration in Music class on Friday, October 11. Each student may bring a snack and a water bottle.

Thank you for your continued support!
Mary Sanders

PTA Meeting, DOT Day, and More!

Good morning families!
I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to update you with a few bits of information:

- Tonight is our first PTA meeting of the year at RBE! Come and show your support, I'll be there! :) See you at 6:00 pm in the Media Center!
- DOT Day is Friday, Sept. 13. Students can participate by wearing polka dots. The idea of Dot Day is based on Peter Reynolds book "The Dot" which tells the story of a student whose teacher encourages her to express herself. Although I will be absent Friday, there will be lots of celebrating, including a Dot Day Breakout activity in our classroom!
- RBE will be having a Chipotle Fundraiser night NEXT Tuesday, Sept. 17 from 4-8pm. Chipotle will donate 33% of sales to RBE. Come show your support for our great school!
- Our first math test will be Thursday, Sept. 12. Your student has an orange review packet coming home. The packet is for reviewing purposes. I will not be collecting it back at school, but I want everyone to feel well-prepared for the test. Please encourage your student to work on the packet and/or review the concepts within the packet in preparation for the test. We will also be reviewing tomorrow during math time in class.

As always, please let me know if you have any questions!
-Mary Sanders

Updates from Room 25 for the week of August 30

We've almost survived another full week of school! I have enjoyed getting to know my class even better as learners and kids. I am so grateful to have such a good group this year. Here are some updates for you!

Curriculum:
Math- We are quickly making our way through unit 1 in math. We've focused a lot on place value, number stories, and estimating. We will plan on taking our test over unit 1 the week of Sept. 9 at some point. More information to come.

Science- We have been doing a lot of activities that focus on experimental design. We also have studied about the Missouri River in preparation for our field trip tomorrow. Check out these pictures from the activity "What happens to the mass of a piece of bubble gum as you chew it?" That was a fun one.


Writing- We have done some responses to our reading to practice summarizing and using proper writing techniques. We also have done some writing prompts to get ideas flowing.

Reading- We have been working on reading stamina. Students were also introduced to some reading apps this week when they received their iPads. We have focused on the idea of Author's Purpose this week and have identified reasons behind why books are written.

Homework:
- Please make sure your child has a 1 1/2 inch 3-ring binder before Tuesday, Sept. 3. I am happy to supply binders for kids that need them. Please contact me and let me know so I can get them this weekend!

Other updates:
- Our MO River field trip is TOMORROW, Aug. 30. Please make sure your child dresses comfortably.
- We have picture day on Tuesday, Sept. 3. Please send in your order forms or an online confirmation.
- 4th grade will be hosting a Curriculum Chat on Wednesday, Sept. 4 from 7:40-8:15. Come and hear about all the things your child will be doing in 4th grade!

Have a great long weekend!
- Mary Sanders

Updates for the week of 4/1-4/5

Hello families!
I hope everyone had a relaxing, restful spring break. Our class has been easing back into our routines and procedures this week. Here are a few reminders and updates:

• In math, we've been talking about liquid capacity units like gallons, quarts, pints, and cups. We've been using this handy graphic to help with conversion problems. We have also worked on multiplying fractions by whole numbers. Our next big topic will be multiplying mixed numbers by whole numbers. 
• In reading we read books by Loren Long, an author an illustrator that will be visiting our school next Friday, April 12. He wrote the "Otis" books and has illustrated a number of books.  We are excited to welcome him to RBE this week!
• In writing we have jumped into opinions. Students practiced forming opinions and having reasons for their opinions. We will start the actual writing process next week, responding to the prompt "Are zoos 'cool' or 'cruel'? as a follow-up from our zoo trip in the fall.
• In science we've talked about circuits and electricity this week. We have formed circuits with hands-on labs. Next week we will begin talking about slow changes of our Earth, focusing on the Missouri River in preparation for our field trip at the end of the month.

Some housekeeping notes...

• Our MAP testing schedule for fourth grade has been posted. We ask that you avoid scheduling appointments during these times if at all possible. Here are the dates and times we will be testing: 

Tuesday, April 16 8-10: Language Arts

Wednesday, April 17 8-10:30: Language Arts

Thursday, April 18 8-9 and 10-11: Language Arts

Tuesday, April 23 8:15-9:15: Math

Wednesday, April 24 8:30-9:30: Math

Thursday, April 25 8:30-9:30: Math

• If you are interested in providing a snack and drink for our class during MAP testing, please visit this link to sign up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090f4baaa828a5fc1-maptesting2
• Just a reminder that the CPS calendar has been changed a bit. Next Wednesday, April 10 will be a FULL day instead of the previously scheduled early release. Also, the last day of school is now 28. It will be a half day.
• If you are interested in volunteering on Field Day, Ms. Moore would love to have your help! Please reference the flier being sent home in this week's Friday folder for more information.

Dates to know: 

4/8: Choir after school

4/11: Choir concert at 6:30

4/12: Loren Long visits RBE & RBE Spirit Day

4/26: Missouri River Day field trip (morning only)

Have an amazing weekend! 

-Mrs. Sanders

Updates & Reminders for this week!

Hello families,
Please see below for updates and reminders for this week and upcoming weeks!

• TOMORROW, March 20 will be picture day for students involved in clubs. Choir members should wear their shirts!
• ALSO tomorrow, RBE will be having a family eat-out night at Jersey Mike's Sub Shop. Grab some dinner & support RBE! 
• Thursday, March 21 we will be having our test over Unit 6 in math. Please make sure your child is reviewing for the test at home. Review packets were passed out today and we will continue to review tomorrow in class.
• This Friday, March 22 we will be showcasing our Famous Missourian projects from 2-2:30 in our classroom. Dressing up like your Famous Missourian is optional, but encouraged. The students have worked really hard to write an essay, make a poster, and some of them have even made iMovies about their person. We hope to see you there!
• Speaking of the Famous Missourian essays...final copies with their grades will be sent home in Friday Folders this week.
• Remember, next week is Spring Break! Enjoy the time off!

Looking ahead...

• We will have an early release day on Wednesday, April 10. RBE will dismiss at 12:10.
• We will have an author visit from Loren Long on Friday, April 12!
• MAP testing dates will be April 16-19 and April 23-26. Please avoid those dates for making appointments if possible. 

As always, contact me with any questions you have!

Enjoy spring break!

Mrs. Sanders

Famous Missourians, reminders, etc.

Hi there,
We are quickly making our way through another week! Here are some things to note:

• We are wrapping up our Famous Missourian writings. I was very impressed with how they turned out. Next Friday, March 22 we will have our showcase for our Famous Missourian projects from 2-2:30 for friends and family to stop by.
• Students and parents have asked about dressing up and bringing props in for the showcase, so I've included a picture of how the "wax museum" will be set up. You can put as little or as much effort into this part as you want. I do not want this to be something that is a hassle for families.

Some reminders...

• Ohana book club meets this Friday evening from 6-8:30
• Next Wednesday, March 20, we will have club pictures taken at RBE
• Next Friday is the showcase for Famous Missourians

Have a great evening!

Mary Sanders

Updates from Room 25!

Greetings, families!

Here is a quick update from our classroom this wonky week!

Reading: We are starting to practice inferring skills this upcoming week. We will continue working on those skills for the month of March and practice applying them to texts in preparation for the MAP test.

Writing/Social Studies: We are working on reasearching and writing about our Famous Missourian writing for our informational writing unit. We will be showcasing our Famous Missourians on Friday, March 22 from 2-2:30.

Math: We've started our unit on division and angles. Today's lesson focus was on using division facts we already know to solve more complex problems. For example: it is helpful to know 48/6 = 8 so that we can solve 4,800/6 easily.

Science: We're finishing up our energy transfer unit. We will move into electricity in March.

Things to remember: 
Feb. 25-28: Parent-teacher conferences-If you have forgotten your time or would like to reschedule, please email me!
Feb. 26: Friends & Family Day-Come & see what fourth graders are working on in specials classes from 11:55-12:45!
Feb. 28: Class Electronic Day & Yearbook order forms are due
March 4-8: Reading week at RBE! See below for our spirit days.

March 20: Club picture day

March 22: Sport team day

Have a wonderful weekend! 

-Mrs. Sanders

Valentine's Day, Important Dates, & more!

Good morning families!

I have a few announcements that I wanted to share with you all. You may have heard them from your child already, but sometimes it doesn't hurt to contact the parents directly. :)

• Valentine's Day- We will be having a combined 4th grade Valentine's Day party with the other sections of 4th grade. From what I understand, there will be a game/activity/snack in each room and the students will have the freedom to roam around. If your student wishes to bring in Valentine cards, we will be handing those out prior to the party. I will be sending home a class list to help with that. Also, if your student wants to make a Valentine's box, that is just fine. Please have them bring it to school on Thursday, Feb. 14. Here is a link to the party supplies sign-up if you are interested in donating. 
• Math test revisions- We took the unit 5 math test yesterday. IF your student wants to improve his/her score, there are extra copies (green packet) of the test for the revisions. The revisions will allow your student to receive half of the credit back that was originally missed. For example, if your student missed 10 points, the most points that your student could receive back is 5 points. Regardless of whether your student wants to make revisions or not, math tests are due back, signed by a parent, on Thursday, Feb. 7.
• Parent/teacher conferences- If you have not signed up for a conference time yet, please contact me as soon as possible to make a time. 

Upcoming dates: 

2/8- Decade day

2/14- Valentine's day party (1:45)

2/15- No school- Teacher Workday

2/18- No school- President's Day

2/25-2/28- Conferences

2/26- Friends & Family Day (11:55-12:45 for fourth grade) 

3/1- No school- Conferences

3/8- Reading with the Stars

Please contact me with any questions or concerns!

-Mrs. Sanders

Information & updates for this week!

Hello families!
I hope you are staying warm! The bitter cold has definitely found us here in MO. Here are a few updates and reminders:

• We will be having a math test either this coming Friday or the following Tuesday. It will depend on the lessons we get through this week and how much time we will need to review. A packet of practice problems will be sent home the evening before the test. We also will review in class the day before the test.
• We have embarked on our Famous Missourians journey! It is always fun to see students get so interested in researching and presenting about a famous person. The project ties an informational writing piece, a poster, and ultimately a live museum together. At the live museum, kids will be able to dress like the Missourian and use props and a poster to inform visitors about the person. I will send home a specific date for the live museum when the time comes. 
• We have wrapped up our waves unit in science and are moving on to energy, starting Monday. 
• COMING HOME THIS WEEK IN FRIDAY FOLDERS (see picture on right) is the infamous sign up sheet for parent-teacher conferences. Please circle three times (or even more) that work for you and I will schedule you when it works. If there are no times that work for you, please email me so we can set up an alternative time. 

Have a wonderful weekend! Thank you for your time & support.

Mary Sanders

Some updates from room 25!

Hot Topics:
- We will be having a quiz over waves on Friday. I will be sending home a green study guide tomorrow of things to know so that students are prepared. We have been talking A LOT about waves in class, so this may be a breeze for some students.

- We started Junior Achievement this week. Mrs. Tiemeyer, Hannah's mom, is leading our class. JA provides education based on entrepreneurship, financial literacy skills, and work readiness. It also helps to prepare them for the infamous 5th grade field trip, Biztown. We will have a lesson each Tuesday for about 5 weeks.

- RBE's annual Reading with the Stars event is Friday, March 8th. This is an opportunity for well-known people in our community to come read to our students. In the past we have had Barry Odom, Sophie Cunningham, Carl Edwards, and J'den Cox. If you have any recommendations or contact points for this event, please email Mrs. McKinzie at amckinzie@cpsk12.org

- Special Friends & Family Day is on February 26 from 11:55-12:45 for fourth graders. This is RBE's rendition of a Grandparents' Day. We have opened it up to friends and family to visit specials classes and get a glimpse of the work students have been doing.

A Look Ahead...
- Hat Day 1/18
- MLK Day-No School 1/21
- Decade Day 2/8
- Planetarium Field Trip 2/13 from 10:15-11:45
- Valentine's Day Parties 2/14 at 1:45
- Teacher workday-No School 2/15
- President's Day-No School 2/18

As always, feel free to email me with any questions or concerns! Stay warm!
-Mary Sanders