Karin Larson
4th Grade HGT
karin_larson@dpsk12.org
Welcome to 4th Grade!
It is a pleasure having your scholar in class this year. If you have any concerns, please email me at the address listed above. I will respond as soon as I can. I included my cell phone number in a recent letter sent home. If you need to contact me quickly, please send me a text (or in case of emergency, give me a call). I am always happy to assist with any questions you may have.
March Update
I am sure you heard about the unexpected visit from Leprechauns this month. Fortunately the students were able to clean up the mess quickly and resume their lessons for the day!
It has been my absolute delight watching each and every child grow this year. This is the time when all who have known students from room 101 throughout the years can notice a shift from being a dependent learner to an independent learner. I have many shout outs to students who have realized the importance of listening to words, writing poetry (that got published recently) and calculating challenging math algorithms with success.
February Update
January seemed to pass by quickly as we settled into our work after holiday celebrations. Congratulations to Jadie W., Ethan R., Jack B., Levi P., and Reilly P., for representing our class at the district science fair coming up on February 9th. A second congratulations for the students whom completed a science fair board to be judged for the fair. All boards were outstanding and it was an extremely challenging task to select the limited boards allowed at the district level. Ollie, Sadie, Felix, Margaret, Anna, Brozek, Edison, and Mari learned a great deal about the scientific method with each of their own interesting investigations. If you were able to visit our classroom to see them last week, you understand the effort each student put into their project. I am proud of each student. The remainder of the boards are due February 28th.
Valentine's Day Celebration
On February 14th, students are allowed to bring in decorated Valentine's Day boxes and Valentines for EVERY student in the class. I will have a Sign-up Genius for festive treats. Due to testing on that day, we will have a time for passing out Valentines and treats at 3:00.
Hello 4th Grade Families,
Recently, we participated in another Peace Circle.
We reminded students of the expectations in a peace circle:
-We speak from the heart
-We listen from the heart
-We make sure all voices are heard
-We listen without judgement
Our team of teachers and administrators shared with the students how proud we are of the progress and growth the kiddos have made. We have seen more productive problem-solving, the forming of new relationships, and the courage to say 'I'm sorry'. We asked the kiddos to get in little 'campfire' groups, and share something they have tried or experienced that led them to these successes. We then had students share with the whole group so that we could hear what are the actions that are helping us to be successful.
We then talked about the idea of civility. We talked about all of the different communities in our lives that we are a part of. We are a member of our family community, our classroom community, and we are a 4th grade community. We talked about the responsibility as a member of a community, to treat one another with civility, respect, and kindness. We gave examples of what it means to be civil and thought about how this can impact the success and culture of a community.
Last, we reminded students of our on-going encouragement for problem solving 'See something, Say something' we want our students to know that they should not feel the responsibility of solving other's problems, and leaning on the adults for support in this process.
We are committed to continuing these impactful conversations and lessons for our students.
Please reach out with any questions about our Peace Circle.
Enjoy the long weekend!
Your 4th Grade Team
Students in their scrappy caps from our reading of "The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles" by Julie Andrews.
Happy 2019!!
The students came back to school with lots of fun things to share about their vacations! I was excited to hear about some new year resolutions being made, especially as it related to academic improvements.
I appreciate your patience and assistance with the science fair project. Some things I was able to communicate to the students whole class, however, this is the type of project needs to be looked at individually in order to help each student with their specific topic. Meeting with 30 students in this manner is proving to be extremely time consuming. I am very impressed by what the students are producing and I am confident they will be well prepared for 5th grade Science Fair. There is information in the science section of this website if you have questions.
Thank you, Thank you!
I am overwhelmed with appreciation of the generosity you showed me this holiday season. I can't thank you enough for all the kind words of support and encouragement. I have enjoyed spending every day of 2018 with your child and I look forward to an even better 2019.
Book Exchange: Please send in a wrapped book appropriate for either gender on December 20th. We will play a "book exchange" game. The students will not know whose book they will receive!
Mary Poppins Returns!
The students and I are excited about the upcoming movie, "Mary Poppins Returns".
We are planning a movie night for the class at UA Colorado Center Stadium 9, 2000 South Colorado Blvd., on December 20th at 6:40. (The only other early time slot is 3:30.) I recommend pre-ordering your tickets online so that your student has a seat. There may be a possibility the movie will sell out, so get your tickets early if your child wants to attend.
December Update:
Thank you for your condolences upon the passing of my father-in-law on December 2. I appreciate all of your kind words and concern. I was fortunate to fly to Phoenix and say good-by before he passed. For that, I am very grateful.
Keep an eye out for our Gingerbread Sign-up Genius. We will construct our festive houses the last week of school before winter break.
I have updated information about the Science Fair in the Science section of this website. Please be advised that science fair participation is mandatory for 4th grade HGT.
November 29th Update:
The highlight of the week was a surprise visit from my son, Chase, and his beautiful wife Jessica. They greeted each student and learned a little something about them. Chase gave some words of wisdom and the students asked them questions.
We quickly got back into our routine after having the week off. The students are busy focusing on their academics and they are building a great foundation for future learning. I just told them how proud I am for their collaboration efforts during a recent social studies activity. There is no doubt they are maturing and growing in so many ways.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I wish you all a joyous celebration of giving thanks for all the gifts we've been granted, the beauty of nature, and most importantly, the blessing of your children.
November Update: We are participating in Carson's Cultural Corner. I will attach the letter I sent home today in case you need access to the information. The students are looking forward to sharing a part of their family history with their classmates. We completed our read aloud called "Laugh Out Loud" and started a new, endearing story titled "The Thanksgiving Treasure". We will take a journey with Addie who discovers the true meaning of Thanksgiving. Mention this story to your student and ask him/her what they have learned so far about the plot. It's a beautiful message!
Hello 4th Grade Families!
As we head into our Fall break, we wanted to take some time to express our gratitude. Thank you to all you do to support your kiddos, our classrooms, us teachers, and our school. Your support and encouragement continuously drive our work, every single day.
With all of the supports we have put in place for the 4th graders, we wanted to offer a space to come ask any clarification questions. We have seen a great amount of success and growth as a result of these supports for our students. We have also had numerous positive messages from families around these supports and how they have been implemented. Thank you for reaching out! As a review we have implemented:
-Peace Circles
-Study Hall
-Mindfulness Lessons
-Increased supervision
-Social-relationship lessons
-4th grade independent cafeteria time
On Tuesday, November 27th we will offer a morning coffee with the teachers from 8:15-8:45 am. This is a time to come in and ask any questions you have about these supports.
Any specific student-related questions, we ask you set up a time to meet with us so that we can give a personalized space to have these conversations. This meeting will be a time to ask questions about the specific supports.
4th Grade Team
Carson Elementary
720-424-9090
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
Responsibility is the Character Trait of November
Literacy Day Parade
November 8, 2018
Literacy Day was full of cool science as the students created boo bubbles, floating bubbles, lots of slime, and screaming cups!
Getting Ready!
October 22, 2018
Thank you for your time and patience during Parent/Teacher conferences. I apologize to those of you who had to wait. My goal every year is to stay on schedule. Maybe next year! It was a pleasure meeting with you and I appreciate all the kind words spoken.
We will have our Mad Science party October 26th, the same afternoon as the Literacy Parade. Thank you to all the volunteers who signed up to send in needed items and assist with the party.
As many of you already know, the birth of my first grandchild, Nova, was October 9th. As joyous as I am, the distance between us is great, and my heart can't wait to meet and hold this adorable new addition to our family. I am leaving October 27th to visit her in Florida and I will be returning October 31.
Weekly Update 10/5
My intentions were to post updates every Thursday, however, I am going to change this to a weekly update since Thursdays seem to be quite a busy day! Above is a picture of students wearing "smart glasses" as they take an assessment. They enjoy donning these colorful glasses as part of their daily learning routine.
Every morning, students enter the class and write the positive thought of the day. They keep it in their positive thought journal. When students come to community carpet to discuss our daily agenda, we always discuss the positive thought. Many times I tell them a story that goes along with the context of the positive thought, or they tell me things they've experienced in their life related to the positive thought. It's a wonderful way to begin our day. The above thought reminds of a book I highly recommend for this type of learner. "Changing a Fixed Mindset into a Growth Mindset" by N. Louis Eason is just one of many books on this subject.
Update for September 29, 2018
Students are ready to add to the classroom animal collection of guppies and tarantula by adding a pound of worms to their new composting bin. Mr. Shannon Oliver will come to our classroom to educate us about how to have a successful, odor free experience. Thank you to all who sent in newspapers.
The students are also anxious to play our ecosystem game "Oh Deer" which teaches them about how an environment can change year after year depending on the availability of food, water, shelter, and space. This is an excellent kinesthetic learning style lesson that they will always remember when it comes to how an ecosystem can either thrive or face hardship.
Fall Conferences are coming up on October 16th and 17th. I will send out a Sign-Up Genius so be sure to look for it in the first week of October to secure a convenient time slot. I look forward to meeting you and discussing your student.
Thursday Update:
I will post new and exciting news about the activities going on in the classroom in this section.
We are excited about the arrival of our guppies and the pond ecosystems each science team created. Students are documenting daily changes to the environment through careful observations.
We focused on theme during literacy and concentrated on the vocabulary word motif. Students know to look for the motif while reading which will help give them a clue about what the theme is. (Along with plot, setting and characterization.)
In math class we played prime and composite Bingo. The students also solved a word problem using mathematical practices. See if you know the answer:
Jonathan is two years younger than his wife Hazel. Their current ages are both prime numbers.
Next year Hazel's age will be a multple of 11. Jonathan's age will be the product of two consecutive numbers.
How old are Jonathan and Hazel?