Week in Review 8/21-8/25

Hey there! It's been an eventful week here in the Fisher Baker classroom. With the completion of our second full week, we are enjoying getting to know our new students and their families. We are also starting to gel as a group and learn where our strengths lie. This year's kiddos have great attitudes and are ready to take responsibility when they need to fix something. Taking responsibility for doing spelling homework is definitely something that needs to be fixed. Next week will be another spelling week, so watch for this homework to be coming home Monday-Thursday. Though we have some homework issues to address, we've had a positive and productive week here.

This Week in Academics:

• We safely viewed the solar eclipse. (So cool!)
• We began reading Hatchet by Gary Paulsen.
• We practiced identifying and using nouns and adjectives. 
• We multiplied and divided numbers by 10 / 100 / 1,000 / 10,000 etc. by moving digits on a place value chart.
• We began our spelling homework routine.
• We took our baseline district Synergy Quest assessments for math and reading.

Looking Ahead:

• We will have spelling homework again next week.
• Mon: Definitions
• Tues: Definitions
• Wed: Synonyms and Antonyms
• Thurs: Sentences
• We will be sending home the Traveling Folder with assessments from the last two weeks. Be sure to sign and return it, and discuss these quizzes with your child by next Friday.
• Please return any lingering forms and Arizona residency documentation.
• Magnet Monday will begin on Monday! 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Ms. Baker, Ms. Fisher, and Ms. Gearhart (Student Teacher)

Students of the Week 8/18

We had so many acts of leadership and kindness this week, that it was hard to choose just three students of the week!

This week's students of the week are...

Trezaun, Brianna, and Destyni!

Trezaun has been on top of all of his responsibilities and has been making sure to speak up in class. His podmates can count on him to be helpful and they can look to him for an example of kindness and positive behavior. Nice job, Trezaun!

Destyni is a great partner to have in our class. She leads by example and helps others when they don't understand something. Way to go, Destyni!

Brianna has been participating in class and stepping up her game by doing her job right away without being asked. We are proud of you, Brianna!

Week in Review 8/14-8/18

Hello!

We've made it to the end of our first full week in the Fisher/ Baker classroom. This week we jumped right in to many of our academic routines. We have some amazing note takers in our class. We also have some great collaborators when we've picked partners for our fourth and fifth graders. We did notice that when given the opportunity to choose our own partners, many of us need to make wiser decisions about who to work with. As we are getting to know one another it is apparent to us that we have a group of very kind, polite kids. Overall, it's been a wonderful week of learning.

This Week in Academics:

• We practiced identifying place value spots
• We practiced reading long numbers 
• We distinguished between value and place value 
• We practiced answering questions in complete sentences, which include both a subject and a predicate. 
• We practiced identifying and creating pairs of synonyms and antonyms
• We planned and wrote paragraphs that addressed a writing prompt.
• We practiced alphabetizing words to prepare for dictionary use next week.
• We practiced using our solar glasses with visitors from Lowell Observatory.

Looking Ahead:

• Please sign and return the solar eclipse viewing permission slip to let us know if you'd like your child to participate in safe viewing of the solar eclipse on Monday
• If you'd like to sign up for Girls on the Run, our first practice is Tuesday. Register this weekend online at gotrnaz.org if you'll be joining our team this season.
• Join us for the Marshall Open House on Wednesday, August 23rd to meet us, and learn about how our class works from 5:00-6:30
• Next week we will have spelling homework. Students will have class time to get started or even finish, but may have to finish at home.
• Please fill out and return any lingering paperwork. We are missing documentation for proof of residency for many of our students. This means a copy of your driver's license or a copy of a utility bill with your name/ address on it. 
• Next Friday is Birthday Friday!

We hope you all have a lovely weekend spent with your families!

Ms. Baker and Ms. Fisher

Students of the Week 8/11

Every week we will recognize 2-3 students who have shown kindness to others. These students are nominated by their classmates and/or teachers. This year's very first students of the week are...


Ally, Robert J., and Payne!

Ally has been an incredibly helpful teammate at the head of her pod, and is already setting a great example for our newbies. Great job, Ally!

Payne stood out to us this week because of his friendly and polite demeanor with his new classmates. Thanks for showing your classmates how it's done, Payne!

Although Robert is a newbie in our class, he has participated and contributed to class discussion. He was also a helpful and involved partner to a classmate. Way to go, Robert!

Week in Review 8/10/17-8/11-17

Hey there, Fisher Baker families!

We had a great first day and a half here in rooms 28/30. What a great group of polite and friendly kiddos we have! Every Friday this year, you can check here for weekly updates about what we're learning along with a look ahead at events that are coming up.


This Week:

• We played games to help us learn about the Fisher / Baker class expectations.
• Classmates interviewed one another to get more familiar with each other. 
• We sent home Marshall packets to be filled out by Monday.

Looking Ahead:

• Please fill out all Marshall paperwork and return by Monday
• Please send supplies with your child by Monday. (Let us know if you need assistance in this area.)
• Wednesday August 23rd from 5-6:30: Open House

2017-2018 Supply List

Welcome to the Fisher Baker Class! Your child will be receiving a welcome letter and supply list on the first day of school. Here's the list early if you're looking to get a jump on your shopping. 

Fisher/ Baker School Supply List

Because of space issues in the classroom, students do not have desks to store items. Instead, they have pillowcase “pouches” that attach to their chairs. We ask that students limit their personal school supplies to the required spiral notebooks and folders and a few other things that will fit inside a zippered soft pencil case. Prohibited items and items that do not fit in the pencil case (excluding the notebooks and folders) will be returned home. Please label supplies with the student’s name to ensure that lost or borrowed items are returned to their rightful owner.

Supplies:

·      A container of Clorox wipes

·      A box of Kleenex

·      A solid, neutral colored, cotton/cotton blend, standard sized pillow case (no king size/ no flannel or jersey)

·      Four one-subject wire ringed notebooks

·      2 folders with pockets (no binders)

·      A soft pencil case that contains the following supplies:

o   A small personal stapler

o   Pencils

o   Erasers

o   A small pair of scissors

o   Colored pencils

o   Several dark colored dry erase markers

o   A small whiteboard eraser or piece of cloth

o   Highlighters

o   Glue sticks

Our classroom is also in need of some good quality staplers, hand sanitizer, extra Clorox wipes, extra Kleenex, dry erase markers, duct tape, masking tape, and “fun” kid/school friendly prizes. Any donations are truly appreciated!

Students may NOT have hard backed pencil cases, markers, binders, multi-subject notebooks, fidget spinners, or Sharpies.

If you can sew, please let us know ASAP! We need help sewing pillowcases!

Welcome, 2017-2018 Fisher Baker Class!

Welcome to our 4th and 5th Grade Family! 

A question we get asked all of the time when our new fourth graders arrive is "WHY?!" Why have fourth and fifth graders and two teachers in one class?


Here are some of the benefits to our unique combined classroom:

• We have a lot of teacher power! Our team consists of co-teachers Emily Fisher, Lizzy Baker, a paraprofessional, and a student teacher. Having this many people in our room means we can create flexible groupings and work more closely with students. Having two teachers with different strengths and insights also benefits our diverse group of learners. 

• Assessment at Grade Level: Many of the fifth grade standards are similar to fourth grade standards with slightly more advanced aspects. For example, both fourth and fifth graders learn to solve multi-operation equations using order of operations or PEMDAS, but fifth graders' problems include decimals and fractions whereas the fourth graders' practice will include only whole numbers. Fourth graders gain exposure to some fifth grade concepts, but are not assessed on fifth grade standards for their grades. 

• Fourth Graders Loop up to Fifth: When fourth graders transition into their fifth grade year, they will remain in our class. When they return, they are already familiar with our classroom's routines and expectations, and we as teachers already know (and love) them. This familiarity provides a build in mentor role for our new fourth graders, cultivating leadership skills before their transition to middle school. 

We are so excited to meet our new batch of fourth graders, and look forward to helping our newbies acclimate to our learning environment.