Welcome to 4th Grade

September 8th, 2020

Dear Families,

Hello! First of all, let me tell you how excited I am to be working with your child. I hope to make this a fun and memorable year for them. I am a firm believer in being a lifelong learner. My hope is to learn a lot from each other. I also believe that a solid home/school connection is important to your child’s success. We’ve got a lot to do and I’m looking forward to getting started.

As you are all aware, we have some very unusual circumstances that we are all currently dealing with. Your child’s education and well being will always be my number one priority. These new challenges we are facing will create new hurdles for us as parents, teachers and learners.

As far as learning goes, the days that your child will be in school will take place as normal as possible while still following CDC guidelines for safety. Basically, we will learn as we have in the past. However, I will be preparing students for 100% remote learning, so if that happens again, the transition will be smoother.

On remote days, many of the activities will be digital. This may include work that needs to be completed from while they were in class. The material for all school days will be made available on our Google Classroom. All students, no matter where they are, will start their day on Google Classroom. If possible we will be starting with a Morning Meeting so we can all start the day together.

During the week, I will have some synchronous learning times for the children. This means learning times that will happen at the same time, for all children. These times will be announced soon and will be posted on our Classroom site under the schedule tab. If a child cannot attend a “live” lesson, I will make sure that they are uploaded to our class page or through EdPuzzle. However, I encourage you to do your best to make sure your child is present. Even if your child is remote, they can still take part in the live lesson at school, virtually, and will be able to interact with the students in school and ask questions where needed.

Please note the information which contains your child’s login information:

Student login: First letter of first name, last name and four digit student ID Example: jsmith1234@cvcougars.org Password: cougar123

This will be important for all of the sites that we use. They should all be able to login to the sites with their Google account. This will allow me to update materials easily. Students will be instructed to write login information in their agendas. On remote days, the children will need to check Google Classroom daily to see the lessons for those days. This is something that we have gone over in class so they shouldn’t have a problem finding the materials. Questions and comments can be posted on the page as needed. You can also contact me directly at mkelly@cvcougars.org. I check my email regularly, so don’t hesitate to contact me. Also, I will be using Seesaw. Seesaw is a free online portfolio app that allows you to contact me easily. You will also be able to see your child’s work and make comments if you would like. You will be receiving a letter, with information on how to sign up.

When we switched to remote learning last year, we were instructed to provide supplemental learning materials. This year will be different. I will be providing a new learning experience for your child each day. Children are expected to complete the new assignments and attend to all tasks even on remote days. Children will be assessed and graded as in the past and attendance will be taken. Again, I will do my best to provide clear, concise expectations for your child.

We have a new classroom website and I hope that you will check it out. It will be very helpful to you as we go through this year together. It can be found on the Cassadaga Valley Website under my name. You will be able to find classroom expectations, daily schedule, frequently used website links and an e-learning help page with answers and videos that may help with some frequently asked questions. Click the “v” next to the question to read the answer. The following are questions that are posted and will add more as they come up: How can I get help at home? What if I can not find my login information? How do I use Google Classroom? How do I connect to Seesaw? How do I complete assignments on Seesaw? How do I submit photos of my written work? How do I use EdPuzzle? How do I use Wonder’s student dashboard? How do I solve the Math Mysteries? How can I get help with my Math lessons? How do I get books to read without leaving the house?

https://sites.google.com/cvcougars.org/kelly/home (Our classroom site)

https://classroom.google.com/u/0/c/MTMxMTE2MjQ3OTk1 (Our Google Classroom page)

*** Please email me or contact me with an email address of yours so that I can add you to our Google Classroom page and invite you to join Seesaw. Here you can see all of the work that they need to do.

Once again, I will be using agendas. Agendas should be used daily while they are in school. They should never be blank. I always post assignments and information on the board. This will be especially important this year due to the current situation we are in.

Finally, the kids need to feel a sense of agency. This is the idea that their choices matter and they can control their own destiny. Without agency it’s almost impossible to be motivated. I want every child to set goals for themselves and feel a sense of accomplishment. We all make mistakes. We learn from them and move forward. I want to help them achieve their goals and guide them on their journey.

Thank you for working with me during these challenging times. I am asking for your patience and understanding as we approach these uncharted waters. Plans may need to be changed on the fly. I will be sure to keep you updated through our classroom web page. I will always do my best to ensure that your child gets the best education possible. If you have ANY questions, please reach out to me via the agenda, phone call, email or by using the Seesaw app.

Thank you,

Melissa Kelly

Welcome back! Here you will find some information about the month of September.

ELA -

We will be using the Wonders reading series again. We begin the year with the following essential questions:

"Where do good ideas come from?"

"How do your actions affect others?"

"How do people respond to natural disasters?"

Skills: making predictions, problem solving, sequencing

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Math - Module 1:

Rounding and Algorithms for Addition and Subtraction

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Social Studies -

Our focus is New York State. We will begin the year with a heavy dose of geography.

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Science -

We will be using Mystery Science this year. We will begin with Rocks and the Rock Cycle.

This unit takes the perspective that every rock has a story. Students will develop an appreciation for the processes that shape the Earth’s surface. After considering where volcanoes form and how they erupt, they turn to investigations of rocks breaking apart and creating potential hazards. Through hands-on investigation, students explore the world of rocks and design ways of protecting humans from their dangers.

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