Is it really almost the end of the semester???

Wow...no idea how the time has slipped away.  Blogging is hard to do with the million other things going on.  We've done a lot since our last post.  We've had three Mystery Readers.  The first was my Jordyn from Jamestown last year.  The second was Madison's grandmother...all the way from Puerto Rico!  We thank her so much for coming to surprise us and read not one, but TWO Patricia Polacco books to the class.

Just last week, we had our Reading Coach, Mrs. Brewer read her favorite holiday book to us...Great Joy by Kate DiCamillo (her very favorite author!)!

Mrs. Blum has entertained us with several Science Labs.  We went to, and enjoyed tremendously, the Indian River Lagoon.  The Brevard Zoo does such a great job with that field trip.

As we get closer to the holidays, we are writing a Stuck Santa story...pictures will follow!  And we were able to squeeze in my very favorite art activity for this time of the year:  Poinsettia Collages made only with construction paper and glue.  They always turn out beautifully.

Hopefully, there will be at least one more post before we take our well deserved break in two weeks!  If not, we do wish you Happy Holidays!!!

Guest Blogger....Madison!

FRED...
"Experiment Time!!!" Mrs. James said.  "Now let's do something FUN!"  So when Mrs. James said it, we all wondered what it was, so then she explained.  The rules were...under the cup, get the lifesaver and then put it on Fred, the gummy worm.  But most important...DO NOT TOUCH the cup or you're out.  I told Andrew, my partner, that since we can't touch the cup, let's unfold the paper clips and get the lifesaver put on Fred and wala!  It was successful!

Great job with Fred and the blog, Madison!

Here are some other pictures from SAVE FRED!  This activity was to introduce the Scientific Method.

Love the teamwork throughout the classroom!

We did it!!!

The first team to SAVE FRED!!!

So, the most creative way to save Fred.  They couldn't quite get the lifesaver on Fred so that he would not drown....soooo...the boat (cup) was flipped and Fred was placed in the boat...safe and sound!

Getting Settled into a New Year

Welcome back to another year in Jamestown!  One of the first activities we did was a Dream Cloud.  Students wrote their dream on the front of the cloud and then wrote how they could obtain that dream on the back.  I got the idea from the teacher I interned for, Mrs. Fleig.  Then I used another idea from pinterest to take pictures of the students holding their dream cloud.  The pictures are in black and white and they look fabulous.  This is hanging outside our classroom door as a reminder of our dreams.  Individual clouds hang on the student's desk.        

                  

For our hallway display, students drew a picture of themselves and cut out a big hand that waves HELLO! to all that pass by.  Students wrote a short paragraph to introduce themselves. This was also pinterest inspired!

Our first field trip was scheduled during Tropical Storm Isaac...so we had to reschedule!  We were going to the Indian River Lagoon.  In Science Lab, students learned to test for pH in the water and for turbidity.  We can't wait until October when we can test on the actual Indian River Lagoon!

 Also in preparation for our trip, we have been studying the wildlife of the Indian River Lagoon.  Food Chains turned out nicely! 

I am still hoping that students take over the job of Blogger to post to our Jamestown Blog!  Stay tuned...

Getting Ready to GO FOR THE GOLD in Jamestown 2012-2013!!!

Just want to post some pictures of Jamestown so far...

Think Table for students...

Really blurry Math Focus Wall...

Meeting area for mini lessons or read alouds...

DIY Bookshelves!

Class rules, calendar, etc...

Far end of my reading posters.  These are from the Scholastic store in NYC.  Got them last Spring Break!  I used that area above the cabinets for storage last year.  I really want my room to scream that WE ARE READERS!

Reading posters...

Reading posters...

Reading posters...

Right side...

Another shot of the U.S.A.

Postcards from around the world...

LOVE this door from Pinterest...

blurry...

Above the door...the left is my Population sign for Jamestown, the right just says 4th Grade, Jamestown

Another blur...makeshift bookshelves and cool Chess table...(from my parents!)

Left side...

going for the gold!

Go for the GOLD giveaway at Math Coach's Corner!

A great giveaway!  Check it out!

WELCOME SUMMER!!!

After one more short day at school, our summer has finally begun!  Today, we had our awards ceremony, finished watching Zathura, and enjoyed some snacks and an extended recess.  So happy for a break, but as always will miss the kids.  My husband and I have a trip planned to Yellowstone National Park by way of South Dakota and the Badlands.  Finally going to get to see Mount Rushmore!  AND...we are going to the Wild Horse Sanctuary that my fourth graders read about this year.  I can't wait for that!  After our trip together, I leave Joe for my big circle tour to go see my sister and her family and my sister-in-law and her family, ending in Chattanooga with my family!  Then it will be time to go back and get my room ready for my next class...

6 More Days Left...

We are truly winding down our fourth grade experience...only six days left and three are short days.  We are having our end of year Poetry Reading next week.  This week, we had a Loser party.  As a class, we read the book, Loser by Jerry Spinelli.  To celebrate the conclusion of this very sweet book, we had a party with some of the food from the book:  hot chocolate (even though it is sweltering outside!), Snickerdoodles, black (and chocolate) licorice, peanut butter sandwiches, and not from the book, but still delicious...homemade cupcakes.  It was a lot of fun and I am so happy my kids enjoyed the book.  This was my first time reading it.  The fourth grade teachers at my former school had Loser parties and I just had to copy them!  Next year, I will try to do it earlier in the year.

One of the end of the year activities that we completed this week is something I have done almost every year that I have taught.  A Slice of Fourth Grade.

It is an activity from an old Mailbox, I believe.  On the watermelon, students write a favorite memory of the year.  They cut it out and glue it to a paper plate with a knife also cut from the paper.  I think next year I will use a real plastic knife...that just struck me as I am typing this!  I usually get a picnic table cloth from the Dollar Tree as the background.  Sometimes, we color big ol' ants that invade our party!  It is nice that the students remember things fondly and that they remember so many different things.  If I can scan the watermelon paper, I will post it here so that if anyone would like to use it for any occasion, they can.

Ok, so my favorite...

...which reads:  "My favorite memory from 4th grade was when our new teacher, Mrs. James walks in the door because we afical (officially) met the best teacher ever."

Awwwwwwww...I started with this group a few weeks after school had started.  Last year, I was out of the country and came back in search of a teaching job.  Although it has been a tough year...new grade, new school, new evaluation system...I am very proud of my students.  I really have seen a lot of growth and maturity this year.