Welcome to 4th Grade!

Classroom News 10/25/21

Greetings Marvel Families!

I hope you are enjoying our slow progress to fall!. Here are a few news items for this week. You can also visit our This Week/Homework tab to see what we are learning and assignments for the week.

Book Fair

We will preview the LME Book Fair on Wednesday (10/27) during the school day. Then, that afternoon from 3:00 - 6:00 the Book Fair will be open to 4th and 5th grade families only. Normally we would be able to send students for purchases at any time during the week, but this year we have to schedule a specific time. Our additional day will be on Thursday, November 4th. Students can purchase items on their wish list at this time. Here is the official flyer.

You’re invited to the LME Fall Book Fair!

October 27th - November 5th, 2021

Dear Parents,

We are excited to announce that it is time for our Fall Book Fair! This is our first fair in over a year, so the kids are super excited! You can shop the fair in-person or online. Either way will help raise money to purchase more books and resources for our school.

Our Book Fair presents a wide variety of books, carefully selected for students at all reading levels. These include award winning titles, classic favorites, and the latest books.

*LME students will be able to purchase books during school hours at times designated by their teacher.

We will also have *3* FAMILY NIGHTS! They are:

Wednesday, October 27th (4th and 5th grade) from 3:00-6:00 PM

Friday, October 29th (2nd and 3rd grade) from 3:00-6:00 PM

Wednesday, November 3rd (Pre-K, Kinder, and 1st) from 3:00-6:00 PM

Please note the nights are divided by grade level. Families can bring siblings along.

*We are open until *6PM* on these 3 nights.* Any other book fair day, we close at 2:30 PM.

*No after school shopping except the three family nights above!*

Parents, please note that the amount you send must also include sales tax! Sales tax will be 8.25%. Please make checks for books at the Book Fair payable to Laurel Mountain Elementary. Driver’s license numbers must be on all checks. If you are sending cash, please send the correct change, if possible. All major credit cards are accepted.

Book Fairs are important events in developing young readers. They also benefit our campus. The school retains 25% of the total dollar amount of purchases. We are also able to select books from the Book Fair totaling 10% of the total amount of sales, for our library collection. Thank you for your help in improving the resources which are available to Laurel Mountain students!

Excellence Fund

Our last week of our annual Excellence Fundraiser is this week!

This one time suggested donation of $100 per student goes directly towards your child for resources and materials for the school year, enabling them to engage in hands-on learning opportunities, virtual field trips and our e2 pathways in which students engage with industry professionals exploring and delving deeper into their interests and passions. If you have not donated already, please consider supporting Laurel Mountain and our Enrichment & Environment programming that makes it so special.

Red Ribbon Week

This week students will be learning about maintaining a healthy lifestyle during Red Ribbon Week. To learn more about he history of this event, visit RedRibbon.org. Each day we will have a theme that symbolizes the students commitment to staying healthy. Here are the themes for each day.

Dream Box

I am happy to report that the Marvels have been working hard on Dreambox! Most are completing the 5 lessons per week which enters them into a drawing for great prizes, not to mention gives them valuable experience and practice with targeted skills. Thank you for encouraging your student to complete their weekly goal!!

Enjoy you week!

Best,

Ms. McCullough

Classroom News 10/5/21

Greetings Marvel Families!

Here are a few news items for this week. You can also visit our This Week/Homework tab to see what we are learning and assignments for the week.

Science Supplies

Many thanks to those of you who have sent in egg cartons and plastic jars with lids. We will use the supplies for lessons next week, so there is still time to send them if you can. We are looking for donations of egg cartons and plastic jars with lids. The jars should be about the size of a peanut butter jar. If you have any of these items in your recycling bin, please send them to school.

Tech Application Permission Form

Most families have completed the APPS Permission Form, but we are still missing a few. Students need permission from you to access many of the applications that we use in class, such as Minecraft, STEMScopes, and a variety of other online sites. Please take a moment to complete the APPS PERMISSION FORM so that your student can benefit from these exciting opportunities to incorporate technology into our learning experience.

Excellence Fund Raiser Starts Today

Every year LME launches a fundraising effort through the LME Excellence Fund to provide financial support for the unique, innovative, and wholly original programming we provide. We ask every family to contribute $100/year per child. This donation allows us to go above and beyond to support student learning in the way we know students learn best: through hands on and outdoor experiences that are connected to the real world. As a school of the enrichment and the environment we offer our students opportunities unlike any other school is Central Texas. Check it out here!

We need you. Only with the support from our parents and community are we able to create this unique learning environment where every child thrives and succeeds. To help continue cultivating your child's voice and choice, please consider making a donation to support the innovative e2 programming at LME. Please make your donation through RRISD's secure online payment portal.

Our fundraiser is now open! This allows us to budget for, and plan, learning experiences and opportunities for the rest of the 2021-2022 school year.

We love bringing a world class education to the students of LME, we will continue to go above and beyond to help them connect and succeed in today's world. Thank you for your support!

Fall Conferences

We will be holding virtual family conferences this year on October 11th. If you have not already signed up for a time slot, please follow this 2021-2022 Fall Conference link to set up a time. We will discuss academic progress so far, and address any concerns you may have for your student.

Dreambox

Please remind your student to spend at least 30 minutes each week on Dreambox and ST Math. These programs are designed to track their learning and create an individual path for each student. Here is an Overview of Dreambox for more information.

You can set up a parent account to monitor progress. Check this link to learn how to set up a family monitoring account.

As always, let me know if you have any questions. I wish you all a marvelous week!

Best,

Karin McCullough

Classroom News 9/28/21

Greetings Families!

E2 Pathways

Students started their E2 Pathways today. They were very excited to have this opportunity. We had all sorts of interests being explored, origami, fashion design and Minecraft to name a few. If your student is interested in exploring Minecraft at school during enrichment or for a class project, he or she will need a specific permission form completed. This is a wonderful teaching tool and the kids love exploring and building on Minecraft. Please take a minute to complete this form If you have not already.

Science Supplies

Next week, students will be exploring the effects of weathering and erosion on land. We have a couple of investigations planned, and need supplies. We are looking for donations of egg cartons and plastic jars with lids. The jars should be about the size of a peanut butter jar. If you have any of these items in your recycling bin, please send them to school.

Weekly Homework

I am trying to keep our homework assignments predictable this year so that your week can be predictable as well. Please visit the Our Week/Homework link to see what we are learning and find out about the weekly homework.

Parent Conferences

October 11th will be a student holiday and provide us time to hold virtual conferences . Please complete this conference form to sign up for a time to meet.

Enjoy your week!!

Classroom News 9/21/21

Greetings Families!

I hope your week is off to a good start! I have a great week of learning planned for the Marvels. In Science we are exploring natural resources and identifying whether they are renewable or nonrenewable. Math will focus on adding and subtracting large numbers. In language arts, students will learn about spelling patterns for the long and short "e". We will also practice making inferences based on character's actions, thoughts, and words. Please continue to follow the weekly homework assignments. Students should be reading 25 minutes per night and completing the 30 minutes of work on Dreambox.

Dreambox

Students are expected to spend a minimum of 60 minutes per week on their Dreambox Learning path. Looking over the logs on Dreambox, I noticed that some students are not utilizing this great educational tool. Next week, I will start sending home a status report on your student's progress. Please encourage them to take advantage of this resource. The goal is for student to complete 5 lessons per week. In October, we will participate in the Dreambox Fall Challenge. Students who complete 5 lessons for the week are entered into a drawing for some pretty great prizes..

The Prizes

For Students

Weekly Prizes: DreamPack (filled with fun DreamBox swag which may include beanies, lunchbags, t-shirts, earbuds or other items)

Grand Prizes: Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro tablets + DreamPack + a DreamBox blanket

For Teachers

5 grand prize winners will receive:

• DreamBox character stickers for the classroom

• DreamBox blankets

• $100 Amazon gift card for the classroom teacher to be used for class supplies or celebrations

Minecraft

All the students are eager to explore Minecraft. I plan to use this building site both in class and during enrichment activities. In the past, we have built a replica of the Spanish Mission System in Texas and a Native American village in our social studies class. Minecraft is an engaging platform that sparks creativity and problem solving skills. Families must complete this form for students to be able to participate. Some students in our class have signed up for Minecraft activities during our E2 Pathways next week, so we need permission as soon as possible. Please take a moment to complete the permission form.

Enjoy your week and please reach out with any questions or concerns yoy have.

Best,

Karin McCullough

Classroom News 9/13/21

Greetings Marvel Families!

As we start our 4th week of school, I want to compliment your children on their positive attitude and engagement in their learning! We have been setting a weekly goal to cement our procedures and develop our PRIDE behaviors to be Positive, Respectful, Independent, Dependable, and Engaged. The Marvels have done a great job and have met their goals each week. We have a little treat to celebrate our achievement for each goal met. Please heap on some praise at home for their efforts. :) Tomorrow we will set a new goal to be more engaged in class after we transition in from recess, lunch, or specials.

I have outlined our topics this week in the "This Week/Homework" tab. Take a look to see what we are learning and homework expectations.

Classroom Needs

This year tissues were not included in the classroom supplies list. If you have an extra box, we could use it in the classroom. :)

Counseling Survey

Mrs. Justice is surveying staff, students, and parents about their interests and concerns which could be addressed through her counseling services. Students will complete the survey at school. Please take a moment to share your thoughts by completing this Counseling Survey - Parents.

Save the Date

We will be holding virtual family conferences this year on October 11th. I will send out an invitation soon where you will be able to sign up for a time slot. We will discuss academic progress so far, and address any concerns you may have for your student.

Enjoy your week!

Classroom News 8/30/21

Greetings Marvel Families!

We are off to a good start this week. Your student should have brought home our Monday Folder today. There wasn't much in it, but in the future the folder will contain graded work and other forms. Please review your student's work and sign the folder for the week. You will keep the contents and send the signed folder back to school on Tuesdays.

I am excited about our 4th Grade Parent Night, this Thursday at 5:30. You will join the meeting through this Google Meet link. As I mentioned earlier, we will share an overview of the year ahead, outline our enrichment plan, brief you on our safety protocols, and answer any questions you may have. This will be a recorded session, so if you are unable to attend the meeting, I will send out the recording to families afterward.

This week we will doing some assessment to find out where students are starting out. Results will be shared at parent conferences to be held next month. I will send out more information as it gets closer to the time.

Students will have some homework this week. I have posted assignments on the "This Week/Homework" tab.

I hope you all have a marvelous week! Please contact me with any questions or concerns. :)

Best,

Karin McCullough

Classroom News 8/27/21

Greetings Marvel Families!

I wanted to touch base as we close down our first full week together. We have been spending time getting to know each other and setting up our routines. The 2021 Marvels are a great bunch! They have been responsive and engaged, so I think we are going to have an amazing year together.

The Fourth Grade Team will host a Virtual Parent Night next Thursday from 5:30 - 6:30. In this meeting we will share an overview of the year ahead, outline our enrichment plan, brief you on our safety protocols, and answer any questions you may have. I will send out the link to the meeting next week.

In the meantime, I have a couple of requests and reminders:

• Please be sure to send a water bottle with your child each day. Water fountains at the school are off limits, but students are able to refill their water bottles as needed. This is especially important with recess and PE being outdoors. We also alternate weeks of eating lunch outdoors.

• Students will need permission from you to access many of the applications that we use in class, such as Minecraft, STEMScopes, and a variety of other online sites. Please take a moment to complete the APPS PERMISSION FORM so that your student can benefit from these exciting opportunities to incorporate technology into our learning experience.

• I have set up charging stations for student devices in the classroom. Students will be able to leave their device at school unless they are needed for a homework activity. If so, I will send the device and charger home for the evening. Please help your student to remember to bring their device back to school the following day.

• On Monday's I will post our Classroom News/plan for the week and send out a link for parents to connect to my website. I will do my best to post the homework for the entire week, but sometimes we may need additional practice outside of the planned work for the week.

• Monday Folders will also go home on Mondays. In the folder you will find graded classwork and any forms that need to be completed and returned. Please sign the back of the folder, indicating that you have received the contents, and return the folder with your student on Tuesday.

I am looking forward to getting to know all of you this year and hope to see you at Parent Night. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have.

Best,

Karin McCullough