Wax Museum 2016

Here's our Mannequin Challenge from our Wax Museum!  How fun!

Here's a slide show of all our "wax" innovators!  I am so impressed by all these 4th graders!

Today's Homework

Because we had the classroom set up to create our backdrops, we were not able to easily access our planners to write down homework.  Here is the HW to work on tonight.

Reading- Read at least 20 minutes
Innovator- Signed Speech Rehearsal sheets are due tomorrow. Also, work on costumes.
Spanish- Spanish HW is due on Wednesday.
Math- Lesson 17 HW

Accepting & Respecting Literature Circles

This week, students received their new Literature Circle books and they were very excited to start reading!  Each book has a common topic of accepting & respecting others, especially those who are different from us.  It is a powerful message that will promote and teach empathy.

We also spent time reviewing the weekly requirements.  Every week, the students will have to read a chunk of the book (pages indicated on their bookmarks), complete at least one sticky note every 10 pages (requirements linked), and complete 1 role sheet every week.  More information is posted below!

Thank you so much to our fabulous parents who have volunteered their time to come in each week to monitor and facilitate rich discussions about literature! You ROCK!

Presentation Explaining Literature Circle Requirements and Procedures


Bookmarks for Required Reading


Chunk Due Dates: Our class will have literature circle meetings every Thursday from 10:15-11:15, so that is when their reading chunk, role page and sticky notes are due.  

• Chunk 1: Due 11/3
• Chunk 2: Due 11/10
• Chunk 3: Due 11/17
• Chunk 4: Due 12/1

Unit 1 Test: Place Value, Rounding, Addition, Subtraction and Multi-Step Word Problem

We have our final math assessment over Unit 1 material on Friday!  The test will cover the concepts on the quiz from last week (lessons 1-10) plus adding, subtracting & multi-step word problems.

Students will complete a study guide in class today.  They should use that to help study for the test as the test mirrors the study guide.  We will review the study guide and questions about it more detail on Thursday in class.

There are many problems not completed in the student workbook that kids can use for additional study practice.

• Addition (lessons 11-12)
• Subtraction (lessons 13-15)
• Word Problems (lessons 16-18)

Remember, to study for a math test, you must do problems!  

Global Virtual Classroom Introduction

Explore the winners from last year!  http://www.virtualclassroom.org/win15.html

Walk to School Week is NEXT Week!

The Green Team invites you to join us for Walk and Bike to School Week, Oct.3-7! Students who walk, bike, or scooter to school will get a reward each morning! Plus, students can wear special colors or certain shirts each day to represent being healthy, safe, and green!

MONDAY, Oct. 3 - Wear RED for transportation safety!

TUESDAY, Oct. 4 - Wear BLUE for water conservation

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 5 - Wear your favorite sports shirt or jersey for exercising and being active for good health!

THURSDAY, Oct. 6 - Wear GREEN for recycling, composting and reusing!

FRIDAY, Oct. 7- Wear Orange or Yellow to represent wearing bright colors when biking or walking outside


The Oak Park Public Library Book Bike will be at Mann after school to allow students to check out fantastic books and participate in fun activities onTuesday, Oct. 4 (rain date Oct. 6).

*A raffle drawing will occur during the week for those students who participate in the Mann School Walk-a-Thon, which will take place during school on Tuesday, Oct. 4 (rain date Oct. 5). Please support the local businesses that have donated prizes for this week: Lively Athletics, Forevermore Dance and Theatre Arts, and Wonder Works.

Math- Tape Diagrams

This week students will be introduced to Tape Diagrams.  Tape diagrams are a very helpful way to model addition and subtraction problems.  Since it is a visual model it requires kids to pay attention to how to set them up; this method and model greatly helps students make sense of word problems and setting up the problems to solve.  Especially the multi-step problems we will do this year!

Here are a few videos to help you get a better understanding of what Tape Diagrams are and how they work.

This is a quick video showing tape diagrams with single digit addition & subtraction to help understand how they work.
 


Here is a longer video showing kids in a 4th grade classroom using tape diagrams to make sense of math.  The days of teaching a formula and asking kids to memorize it are over.  From years of doing that, we have learned it doesn't work.  Kids only remember those formulas or algorithms for a short time and need to be retaught the same thing year after year.  If we teach kids how numbers work with models, they understand numbers and are able retain and apply a concept in multiple contexts.

Reading Update: Out of My Mind

The kids started reading the novel Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper this week. This is a beautifully written story that ties perfectly into our first trimester unit of accepting & respecting.  Students will be doing a majority of the reading at home so we can use our class time for a variety of activities and discussions.

We have divided the book into 4 chunks that we will read over the course of 4 weeks. They will be assigned to read one chunk of the novel each week and that will be due each Tuesday. If they save the entire chunk until Monday to read, it will be overwhelming; please monitor that your child is keeping up with the reading each night.


Helpful Links: 

• Out of My Mind Introduction to the Novel This is the presentation the 4th grade teachers used in class to introduce the novel to the children. 
• Reading Guide Questions that you can discuss with your child as they read Out of My Mind.
• During each chunk, the students will be stopping to think while they read. This is an imporant skill that I often find the kids are not doing. To practice this skill, they will write an annotation on sticky note for each chapter.​   Click here for the Post-It Note Directions

Math Update- Lessons 1-4 Check In

This week we finished the lessons on Place Value of Multi-digit Numbers in our curriculum (lessons 1-4).  Yesterday, all the kids completed a "Check-In" over the concepts in these 4 lessons.  I often give kids check ins after every few lessons to make sure they are keeping up.  I grade it to see if they are understanding the concepts but it doesn't necessary end up as a grade in my grade book- it is more so to inform my instruction.  Today, in math I pulled small groups of students to review misconceptions I noticed on the check in, so your child should have a good understanding of all the concepts in lessons 1-4.   I am going to send home the check ins today, and I ask that you review them with your child and send them back signed on Monday.  I also made the below video that reviews problems from the check in or similar problems.  Please consider having your child watch the below video to work on concepts they are still struggling with.  You might even want to watch this to help understand the place value tables and terminology we have been using in class.

Lesson 1-4 Review Video
Lesson 1-4 Video Handout this is optional to complete the problems along with the video (you can print this out or your child can open it on their iPads and fill it in digitally while they watch the video).

Our first formal quiz will take place after lesson 10.  If all goes as planned, students will take that quiz on Monday, 9/26.  As we get closer to the quiz, kids will write the official date in their planners. Students will receive a study guide next week to begin preparing for the quiz!

Thanks so much for your support from home!

Class Name Voting

Boys & Girls!  You have done a wonderful job brainstorming creative class names.  After spending some time narrowing down our long list together, here are the final names you have to pick from. Please take a moment to think about each name and select your top 3 favorite names!

Curriculum Night Presentation

You CAN Grow Your Intelligence

In reading today, we started working on our nonfiction reading & annotation skills.  We read a fantastic article, "You Can Grow Your Intelligence."  This article was involved in a rather interesting research study that I read many  years ago and it had marvelous effects on student effort and growth!  For homework tonight, I asked the kids to talk to their families about growing their intelligence.

Later this week, we will watch two short, interesting videos: Neuroplasticity and The Learning Brain.  Parents, I suggest taking a few minutes to watch these videos and discuss them with your child too!  This is powerful knowledge for the kids to get their hands on!

Finally parents, if you have the time (this is a longer one), give this article a read: New Research: Students Benefit from Learning That Intelligence Is Not Fixed!  I find this all fascinating and I hope you do too! 

Thanks for your support from home :)

Growth Mindset in Math

I will work hard to foster a growth mindset in all my students this year as I believe (and research shows) it has a big impact on success. We started our journey of growing our growth mindsets in math yesterday!  Here is some of what we did!  Parents, I ask that you take a look at this and try to increase your growth mindset this year too!  Be sure to talk to your child about this!

Here is a list of strategies the kids came up with to get themselves unstuck in math class. 

What a fabulous FIRST DAY of school!

I absolutely loved meeting all my students today and I am really looking forward to a wonderful school year! I have included the presentation of all the information the students received today and the activities we completed today for your reference (it also has the HW listed at the end).  Be sure to review and sign you child's planner tonight and each night for the rest of the school year. :)

Fill out the iLearn form electronically or a paper version will be sent home later this week.

Parents, be sure to fill out my parent input form if you have not yet.  I will use this information to create a parent email group from the year and the questions help me teach your child.

Don't forget Curriculum Night is on Wednesday, September 7th.

Thanks so much for your continued support from home!  Email me if you have any questions!

Welcome back to a new school year!!

Hello to all my former and soon-to-be Mann families. I hope that everyone had a fun, fabulous, and refreshing summer. I know I sure did. :) I am so looking forward to meeting my new group of students and to seeing my Chrystall Coconuts who are now big-shot 5th graders (maybe even some of my Chrystall Miners who are off to Julian this year)! Hopefully everyone will be at the Back to School Picnic on Thursday, August 57 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the Mann Blacktop. 

I know I will soon hear about everyones summer breaks, but I thought I'd take a moment to let you know what Mrs. Chrystall has been up to this summer.....

A year ago, my husband and I bought a house in Chicago that is over 100 years old and we have been working our way through DIY videos on Youtube to fix it up.  This summer was filled with projects around the home; including moving into our master bedroom on our top floor that we spent a year gut rehabbing ourselves.  

Our first little home on the day we bought it (June 2015)!  Chicago, IL 

Our house today!  Still lots of work to do, but we are getting there :)

For a few weeks in July & August, we boarded a plane and headed to Europe to visit family and see some new sights. Mr. Chrystall's brother & wife (Greg & Natasa) live in Stockholm, Sweden so that is where we spent most of our time!  It was great touring the city with locals and spending time with family!  We also spent a few nights in Norway exploring the beautiful fjords!

Boat tour of Sognefjord in Norway.  #stunning  It was a cold and rainy day so we had to wear these fabulous red jumpsuits!   

Bergen, Norway

On top of Mount Floyen in Norway. 

Yayoi Kusama exhibit at Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Sweden. 

Stockholm city.  Water everywhere! 

Mr. Chrystall, Me, Greg & Natasa (Mr. Chrystall's brother & his wife)

Exploring in Norway! 

At the archipelago in Sweden. 

Swedish castle.

Besides working on our house and traveling, we spent a lot of time playing with our puppy, Nell and working on our gardening skills!  Tomatoes are one of my favorite foods so I absolutely love growing them!  

Nell at Montrose Dog Beach! 

To my new students and parents:

I have an "About Me" section on my blog, it gives some information about me, personally and professionally.

Parents, you already have some homework! Please take a few minutes to fill out this parent input form. I will use this information to create a email group and to quickly find out more about your child! I will give a HORSESHOE HOORAY to any child whose parent filled it out prior to the first day of school!

The last thing I have to say to you, new 4th graders, is-- GET READY TO LEARN LIKE YOU'VE NEVER LEARNED BEFORE! This is going to be a year jam-packing with rigorous learning and really high-expectations. I am going to push you to grow as an individual, think outside of the box, and to put in more effort than you knew you had in you. It's going to be a fabulous year, kiddos! I promise! 

What we learned at The Grove...

Be sure to follow me on Twitter @MrsChrystall to see all our photos from the day!

Perpendicular Padlet

Created with Padlet

Mystery Skype Report

Written by our Mystery Skype reporter, Lauren, from Mrs. D's class:   

"Today we did a mystery Skype with a third grade class. They asked us questions and we answered then we switched. Using only yes/no questions we determined they were in North Carolina by asking the question "is your state Capitol Raleigh" they said yes. Then they figured out that our state was Illinois  and then we told them a little bit about where we live and they did the same. I think all the Daredevils and Coconuts had a blast."

Rube Goldberg Machine Videos

While half of the class was at chorus, we worked with Mrs. Diviacchi's class to explore force, energy and simple machines by making Rube Goldberg Machines!  Here are videos of their failures and successes!  Enjoy!


Here is the presentation I created for this project to learn more about Rube Goldberg and the scientific principals involved.

Fun Facts about Illinois

Today the kids read all kinds of interesting facts about our state, Illinois. Then we made a poster of all our favorite random facts! 

SPARKS Night

Next Monday, May 16th, we will be celebrating the arts and what we do with your kids during their time with the specials teachers (art, PE, library, music, Spanish).  Come and enjoy artwork, Spanish games, and a  hamsteriffic celebration for our One Book, One School read.  A concert and dancing will finish off the evening.  This event is for everyone,  the more the merrier!  We hope to see you there!  

We will also be having a book swap in the cafeteria.  Please bring a gently used book or two and hopefully your child will find something great to take home.  Finally, we are collecting the Humphrey books if your child would like to donate it back so we can pass it on to another group of kids.

If you have any questions, please contact Kathy Rolfes at krolfes@op97.org.

 

 

SpArKs  - Monday May 16th - 6:00-7:30

Library - Hamster games/crafts in Cafeteria 6:00-7:10

Spanish - Games in the Cafeteria - 6:00-7:10

Art - View artwork in the halls 

Music - Chorus in the auditorium 6:40-7:10

PE- Dancing on the blacktop 7:10-7:30

Also in cafeteria - Book Swap and Humphrey book collection

Mystery Skype

Here is the list of Mystery Skype Questions we wrote together.  Use this during our practice Mystery Skype today!

Quick quiz tomorrow & MAP next week

Tomorrow the kids will take a quick quiz in reading to assess their knowledge of firsthand & secondhand accounts (RI4.6). 

This anchor chart we made in class is a great study tool. 

Also, MAP testing starts next week. Our class will take math MAP on Monday 5/9 @ 9:15am and reading MAP on Monday 5/16 @ 9:15am. I know we're all excited to finish this final round of standardized testing. :)

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P Figg

In this Newbery Honor-winning page-turner, twelve-year-old orphan Homer runs away from Pine Swamp, Maine, to find his older brother, Harold, who has been sold into the Union Army. With laugh-aloud humor, Homer outwits and outruns a colorful assortment of civil War-era thieves, scallywags, and spies as he makes his way south, following clues that finally lead him to Gettysburg. Even through a hail of gunfire, Homer never loses heart--but will he find his brother? Or will it be too late?

Reading Breakdown
Chunk 1- Due Monday 5/2

Chapters 1-10

Pages 3-56



Chunk 2- Due Tuesday 5/10

Chapters 11-19

Pages 57-109



Chunk 3- Due Tuesday 5/17
Chapters 20-28

Pages 110-161



Chunk 4- Monday 5/23
Chapters 29- End

Pages 162-161


Weekly Reading Requirements

· Read assigned pages

· As you are reading your assigned chapters, you will write a total of four entries in your DED (Double Entry Diary) each week.

· On a sticky note, identify one new or interesting vocabulary word. Include the definition on the sticky note.

Global Virtual Classroom Announcement

Exciting news! We earned 2nd place in the Global Virtual Classroom contest! 

Every week, students not in chorus, worked with a school in Texas and in Russia to create a website on a topic the students picked. Check out the website that earned us the silver award: http://bit.ly/1N07wqE

The GVC Team

One School, One Book: The World According to Humphrey

Today your child will be bringing home the book, The World According to Humphrey. This book is part of our One School, One Book reading initiative. We collected funds at the beginning of the year and thanks to the incredible deal we got from The Magic Tree Bookstore, we were able to get a book for every student.

This book is only 122 pages, and with the reading schedule (on the bookmark that your child received with the book), the reading averages out to be about 10 pages each night.  We ask that you try to read this book as a family.  Reading aloud is such important activity that we often put aside as other things fill up our time and we thought that it would be a good thing to promote during April, National Library Month.  Here is a quick video that emphasizes how valuable reading aloud is:https://vimeo.com/156327699

The attached letter explains our project - if you have any questions, please direct them to Kathy Rolfes atkrolfes@op97.org.  

Thanks, and happy reading!

Faith Cole and Kathy Rolfes

When I grow up, the problem I want to solve is.....

“Don’t ask kids what they want to be when they grow up but what problems they want to solve. This changes the conversation from who do I want to work for, to what do I need to learn to be able to that.” – Jaime Casap, Google Global Education Evangelist



Kids Go Global (Website for Ideas & Research) 

Gapminder

Project Requirements

Presentation Requirements

Project Rubric

Google Form - What Problem Do You Want to Solve?

Leprechaun BINGO

For our second trimester PBIS celebration, the whole school got to play BINGO! So fun 😀

Quick Greek Mythology Allusions Videos

Using a template and the app Explain Everything, the students worked in teams to create videos explaining the meanings of popular allusions in Greek Mythology!  Well done, Coconuts!

Geography Paper Slide Videos

The Chrystall Coconuts have been working in groups to make a paper slide video explaining a geography topic they selected!  Here are the final videos!  Enjoy :)