What's going on in Mr. Solarz' Class?

Making Tessellations in Math Class

5/31/2019

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The 2019 Alternative Energy Debates!

5/12/2019

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Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) Testing Schedule

3/19/2019

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The office has asked us to provide the testing schedule for the IAR (which will take place when students return from Spring Break). I've also included the MAP testing dates below (these dates and times are tentative and are subject to change!)...

April 2nd: IAR 1:10-2:40 - ELA 1
April 4th: IAR 9:10-10:40 - ELA 2
April 5th: IAR 9:10-10:40 - Math 1
April 8th: IAR 1:10-2:40 - Math 2
April 9th: IAR 1:10-2:40 - Math 3
April 10th: MAP Test (Math) 1:10-2:40
April 17th: MAP Test (Reading) 1:10-2:40

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Notes from the Office...

3/17/2019

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Please take the following survey related to "Leader in Me" if you have some time:
archive.theleaderinmeonline.org/assesment/index.php/827926/lang-en/token/518f302f052dae329a44a0a6d7a6c7a2/newtest/Y

Click on the video below to watch the Dance for Heart Video:

Friendly Reminder Regarding Westgate's Homework Policy -

Students sick/absent for 1-2 days can collect homework from classroom teacher upon arrival from absence.
Students sick/absent for 3 or more days can arrange with classroom teacher to pick up homework from main office.
Parents requesting work due to vacations: We strongly encourage parents to plan vacation periods at a time other than when school is in session. It is extremely difficult for a student to make up missed work over an extended period because of the sequential teaching and learning processes. Parents who find they must take their child from school for an extended absence are requested to discuss the matter with principal in advance of the date of the absence. Teachers are not required to provide schoolwork ahead of time for vacations. Schoolwork should be handed in (3) days after returning from the vacation or per the final agreement established between teacher and student’s parent.

Spring Conferences - Thursday March 21st, 2019 and Friday, March 22nd, 2019

At Westgate School, we value a strong partnership between home and school. Twice a year, once in October and once in March, time is provided for Parent-Teacher Conferences. Parent-Teacher Conferences are a valuable time to share information and discuss the progress of our students. Parents will be able to sign up for Parent-Teacher Conferences online, using http://www.signupgenius.com. Parents will be provided links to begin signing up for conferences on Monday March 11th, at 10 AM. The window for signing up for fall conferences will be Monday, 3/11/19 at 10 AM through Monday, 3/18/19 at 12 PM.
The conferences are scheduled in 20-minute increments. In order to be fair and equitable to all our Westgate families, each family may sign up for only one evening conference each year. Families can choose to either sign up for an evening conference in the fall or the spring, not both.
Here is the link to our classroom sign-up: www.signupgenius.com/go/60b094aacae23aaf49-spring53

Order your child's yearbook today! Available for $15 each through pre-order only through March 22nd.
https://westgatepta.com/yearbook/

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March Parent Newsletter

3/3/2019

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If you're reading this in an email, please click on the title "March Parent Newsletter" above to go to the actual web page to see the embedded tweets, slideshows of pictures, and more! Thanks!

Thank you to everyone who has sent my mom well wishes on her surgery this Tuesday. I'm sorry to have to miss the next two weeks of school! Please know that your child is in the great hands of Ms. Samantha Frankenthal, the same substitute that went with our kiddos on the Art Institute field trip last month. She has agreed to take all nine days that I will be out! I am leaving her detailed lesson plans and my cell phone number to ensure that she has a fantastic experience and that the kids continue to learn at a rapid pace!

I have changed the schedule a bit to make it easier on everyone. We will be pausing science and social studies until I return and then doubling up on those two subjects for a short period of time to catch up. This will allow Ms. Frankenthal to focus on just a few subjects, rather than all of them! Students will likely be completing Math Units 9 and 10 while I'm gone (they're both extremely short). I'd expect the first test in a week or so!

Please have a quick talk with your child about the importance of making mature decisions while I'm gone. (I will also talk with them tomorrow in school.) Just last week while I had the flu, several students made poor choices with technology. Some deleted other students' work. Some created a Google Doc to chat with their friends instead of doing schoolwork, etc. I need to know that each child will be making mature decisions while I'm out. Thanks! :)

Report cards are nearly done and will be completed on time. Report cards are emailed home on 3/15 by the district. I will also be giving students an envelope with supporting documents on 3/18 or 3/19 when I return (just like last trimester). In it, you will find data from IXL, Spelling City, writing pieces, a 21st Century Skills report card, etc. I hope you find this information useful.

Finally, thanks for all your support this year! Switching to a new grade has challenges I never anticipated (having taught the same grade for 19 years previously). You have all helped make the transition to 4th grade smooth and positive! Thank you so much!

Paul

Math - Hands-On Decimals

PDF: decimal_ordering_cards.pdf

Comparing & ordering decimals WAS tough, but not anymore! Just spent 10 minutes sorting decimal cards from least to greatest & greatest to least! Since the kiddos made each decimal the same number of digits, it was a cinch! :)#LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat pic.twitter.com/GFJsYca3LV
— Mr. Solarz' Class (@MrSolarz) March 3, 2019

Social Studies - SDG's

Connecting our Illinois Geography standards with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.

Collecting statistics and data to demonstrate how the state of Illinois is not meeting all of the U.N.'s Sustainable Development Goals (#SDGs)! Our next step is creating an #Infographic with our findings and sharing it out!#LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat pic.twitter.com/n69BjmvsPt
— Mr. Solarz' Class (@MrSolarz) March 3, 2019

Science - Engineering & Design

PDF of the contest: invent-it-2019-educator-flyer-1.pdf

Creating our #Prototypes for the 2019 #InventItChallenge by @CricketMediaInc! Our kiddos are coming up with some AMAZING inventions to help our elderly community! Such creativity!!!#LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat pic.twitter.com/jEzJZ3KMXf
— Mr. Solarz' Class (@MrSolarz) March 3, 2019

Math - Decimal Computation

Website: www.mathfactsfixer.com/

Adding and Subtracting Decimals with partners! Students are getting stronger with their computation skills thanks to #FactFixer and daily fact practice in class! Now, to transfer that to #RealWorldProblems! :)#LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat pic.twitter.com/wy8lfpJtSO
— Mr. Solarz' Class (@MrSolarz) March 3, 2019

Science - Heat Energy

Link to assignment:
paulsolarz.weebly.com/energy/energy-lesson-4

Experimenting with #HeatEnergy by exploring how long it takes relatively hot water and relatively cold water to become room temperature water! Learned how variables like ice in the water can adversely affect our data!#LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat pic.twitter.com/dNIWO72xnL
— Mr. Solarz' Class (@MrSolarz) March 3, 2019

Valentine's Day Party!

A HUGE thank you goes out the parent volunteers who organized the games, purchased the materials, and ran the groups on Valentine's Day!

Wow! Our parents treated us to THE BEST VALENTINE'S DAY PARTY EVER!!! We are so lucky to have had so many amazingly fun activities to do, crafts to make, and experiments to perform! The kids never stopped smiling! □□□#LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat pic.twitter.com/rSTsyDkEF2
— Mr. Solarz' Class (@MrSolarz) March 3, 2019

KinderPals - Honesty

Website: www.peekapak.com/

Teaching our #KinderPals the importance of #Honesty thanks to @Peekapak! We spent our February meeting learning about the importance of honesty, what can happen when we stretch the truth, and some exceptions to the rule!#LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat pic.twitter.com/yGfy4LezuG
— Mr. Solarz' Class (@MrSolarz) March 3, 2019

Math - Protractors

We learned how to use our protractor in class. If your child is still struggling to use it correctly, feel free to have them watch this video:

Learning how to use #Protractors in Math Class! Students helping students; making lots of mistakes, but learning from them; developing our skills in a safe classroom environment! #LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat pic.twitter.com/efDvJwSXFJ
— Mr. Solarz' Class (@MrSolarz) March 3, 2019

Current Events With TFK

Website: www.timeforkids.com/g34/

Learning about #CurrentEvents & other topics that interest us through @timeforkids! Kiddos read aloud with their partner, discussing each article & looking things up, rather than doing worksheets or even finishing the issue. #LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat pic.twitter.com/prX8MhsKyc
— Mr. Solarz' Class (@MrSolarz) March 3, 2019

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February Parent Newsletter

2/10/2019

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If you're reading this in an email, please click on the title "February Parent Newsletter" above to go to the actual web page to see the embedded tweets, slideshows of pictures, and more! Thanks!

Art Institute Field Trip

Mrs. Miller took our class and two others to the Chicago Art Institute to check out famous paintings and sculptures. Although I had to miss the trip, the students and adults alike said it was a fantastic day!

Our 4th graders got a chance to visit the Art Institute in Chicago a week ago. They were lucky enough to have a docent explain the artwork and make their experience that much more meaningful! (Photo Credit: Angela Williams)#d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #LearnLAP #4thchat #5thchat pic.twitter.com/9JEOk1EO0q
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) February 10, 2019

Fractured Fairy Tales

During our LMC time, students have been working on creating their own "Fractured Fairy Tales!" They wrote a script on a shared Google Doc with a couple partners, searched for images to represent their characters and printed them out, they attached green straws to the pictures and performed a puppet show on the green screen using the DOINK app. They should be uploaded this week - be sure to check them out!

Creating our own FRACTURED FAIRY TALES:
- Wrote a script
- Highlighted everyone's parts
- Printed off images to make puppets out of
- Performed the puppet show on the green screen
- Edited the video
- Done!#d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #LearnLAP #4thchat #5thchat #scitlap #scichat pic.twitter.com/R1lOOwkeL2
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) February 8, 2019

Energy Transfers

We just completed one of my favorite lessons of the school year: The "Energy Transfers" lab. Students explored 12-20 objects that, through their use, changed energy forms several times. For example, a boombox is plugged in, so it starts with electrical energy, transfers to sound energy, and has the byproduct of motion energy (since it vibrates a bit). Students identified the energy transfers in much more complicated items, mapped out those energy transfers, and then recorded videos of their explanations. Finally, students made a blog post of their four favorite videos that they wanted me to grade in order to determine their level of understanding. Check them out on their ePortfolio!

Exploring Energy Transfers in fun objects!
- Dancing Water Speaker
- Electric Current Ball
- Perpetual Motion Drinking Bird
- Autograph Stamper

Student Videos: https://t.co/Wa6d6ILV56 #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #LearnLAP #4thchat #5thchat #scitlap #scichat pic.twitter.com/A3RtUktguS
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) February 8, 2019

Social Studies

We began our unit on Illinois by learning a little bit more about the U.N.'s Sustainable Development Goals and how they relate to the needs of our state. In order to ensure that each student really understood each goal, we played a game of "HeadBanz" and had kids walk around giving each other clues to help them identify the goal that was on their forehead. As we progress in this unit, students will be exploring the ways our state can improve in six core areas and writing a book that we hope to publish at the end of the school year!

Spent time putting the U.N.'s Sustainable Development Goals into our own words with a partner. Then had to pass an informal "quiz" that I conducted thru personal interviews. All to prepare for a FUN game that we did next!#LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLearns #4thchat #5thchat pic.twitter.com/HnxO56voVz
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) January 30, 2019

Daily Mini Lessons

Each day, I'm trying to incorporate a 5-15 minute mini lesson on a topic of interest to the students. Some of these topics are science or social studies related, while some are focused on a unique holiday or tradition. This is a great way to learn a SMALL amount of knowledge about a WIDE variety of subjects with no stress!

Enjoyed #EarthsRotationDay today! In 15 minutes we:
- Brainstormed ways we could prove that earth rotates
- Discussed how Foucault's Pendulum proves its rotation: https://t.co/fZFQ1ZhRsy
- Observed it: https://t.co/nWlzFIwtnu #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat #LearnLAP pic.twitter.com/kFN5fyrhxL
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) January 9, 2019

Reading

Students continue to enjoy reading novels with their peers. They generally get to read their first or second choice book out 10-12, and do all of the work in class. We introduced Summary Writing this round, so students are now writing summaries at the end of each day's reading. Heads up that our summarizing style is a bit of a mix between retelling and summarizing, so these summaries are a bit longer than traditional ones. Students continue to record their discussions and after we finish our student-led mini-lessons, we will be adding new types of discussions to the mix!

Chose Lit Circle books today for our next round! Shared former student ratings & Lexiles with those who wanted them. Kids chose their favorite five books out of the 12 that were offered. I'll try to give them their 1st choice!#LearnLAP #4thchat #5thchat #WGLeads #d25ItsPersonal pic.twitter.com/lfVHVtEe7q
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) January 8, 2019

Global Invent-It Challenge

Students have begun work on inventing a new product or improving an old one for a contest that we hope to enter next month. The company that provides us with engineers and scientists as pen pals is conducting the Global Invent It Challenge, focusing on making the lives of senior citizens easier. Our class has split into groups and is now developing several inventions, prototypes, and specs. Wish us luck!!!

Began our study of THE INVENTOR'S PROCESS as we participate in @CricketMediaInc's brand new #TryEngineeringTogether unit called "Be An Inventor:" https://t.co/8AqkSgiWaP Quickly researched "important" inventions in our lives.#LearnLAP #4thchat #5thchat #WGLeads #d25ItsPersonal pic.twitter.com/cjs51HvMMr
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) January 8, 2019

Math in Focus

We are wrapping up Chapter 7 on basic decimal concepts and are about to begin Chapter 8 on decimal addition and subtraction. They are both very short units so the next test should come up pretty quickly!

The IXL skills for the kids to work on at home are:

Level F: U1-U10
Level G: H1-H8

Students should get 70% on each skill before moving on.

Jumped right back into math first thing this morning! Reviewed basic fraction skills & applied those skills to "Real-World Problems" (which we like to joke about because they rarely feel like real-world problems)!#MissedMyKiddosOverBreak #LearnLAP #4thchat #5thchat pic.twitter.com/cRWkmeOJFd
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) January 8, 2019

KidnerPals

We focused on GRATITUDE during the month of December, SELF-REGULATION in January, and we will be teaching our kindergarten friends about HONESTY in February. We enjoy spending time with our younger friends, acting as mentors who focus on social-emotional skills and behaviors. We get to play games, read books, play activities, etc. Be sure to ask your child about their KinderPals experience!

"What are you grateful for?" Learning about GRATITUDE with our #KinderPals this morning! Thanks @Peekapak, Leo the Hedgehog and Cody!#LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat #kinderchat #1stchat pic.twitter.com/17qsLSfibp
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) December 21, 2018

Writing

We finished the Expository/Informative Writing unit in December and are wrapping up the Opinion Writing unit this week. Students spent 14 lessons learning about persuasive writing techniques and wrote one long piece and several short portions. This week, they will be writing their final essay using the organization techniques that were taught in class through mini-lessons. They have chosen their topic from a list I provided them, and will be given a specific organizer for their prompt, as well as an organizer template to write their essay on. They will do this over three class periods this week.

Wrapping up our #Expository Writing Unit. Students are using a planner from @Scholastic's "40 Writing Prompts w/Graphic Organizers" & organizers based on "The Paragraph Writing Strategy." Lots of peer-to-peer collaboration!#LearnLAP #4thchat #5thchat #WGLeads #d25ItsPersonal pic.twitter.com/tBZjwr7Fho
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) December 19, 2018

Engineering Design

Students had fun designing the tallest tower they could out of various materials in the classroom. Their end goal was to build something strong enough to hold a golf ball on top without breaking. Honestly, several groups made quite impressive designs and used some smart building methods! Students got to talk about their experience with their engineer/scientist pen pals and it was an excellent springboard to our current Invent It Challenge!

Today's #STEM Exploration: Creating the Tallest Tower possible w/the materials given. Ss are enjoying trading & creatively building structures! Thanks @CricketMediaInc & #TryEngineeringTogether for "Engineering is Everywhere!"#LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat pic.twitter.com/szHz0iyMB0
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) December 6, 2018

Homework Club

Just a reminder that we have HOMEWORK CLUB before school and during lunch recess most days of the week. This is a time for students to get questions answered, finish up classwork or homework, work with a partner to complete a project, etc. Although lunch recess homework club has been well attended, morning homework club is often a lonely place! ;) Here is the link to our weekly schedule. Check it out if you'd like to drop your child off at school at 8:15 to get some work done in the classroom: paulsolarz.weebly.com/our-weekly-schedule Typically, we have AM HW Club on Mondays and Fridays, while Lunch Recess HW Club is generally every day except Friday.

Molly is experimenting with "Sink or Float" in Passion Time. She made her predictions, then invited others from class to come in during Lunch Homework Club to compete w/each other to see who is most correct!#LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat #scitlap #scichat pic.twitter.com/dFljN0pC3V
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) December 6, 2018

Explorers

Our last social studies unit was on Explorers (mostly a study of European Explorers). After we learned about their purpose for exploration, we each chose a specific explorer to research in detail. Students created poster board projects to show off the information they learned. Slideshow of images below:

Finishing up our investigation of EXPLORERS by researching eight famous explorers from the 16th & 17th Centuries. Then, practicing some STUDY SKILLS like making flash cards for VOCABULARY & KEY CONCEPTS. #LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat #sschat #sstlap pic.twitter.com/hbvSk0emsv
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) December 5, 2018

Fact Fixer in Math

The 4th grade teachers and I noticed that students were having quite a bit of trouble with their multiplication and division math facts at the beginning of the year, so after a little research we decided to use Fact Fixer in the classroom in order to give students a boost! We spend 5-10 minutes about every other class period following the prescribed routine. Students are fine with the process and appear to be improving their skills! Of course, any help at home with flash cards would be really appreciated too!

Just a few lessons into #FactFixer and my students are already ZOOMING through their multiplication math facts! Although we only know a few patterns so far, I expect them to continue to build their math fact fluency!#LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat #Mathchat pic.twitter.com/hIIXjDFavD
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) December 5, 2018

Passion Time

Students continue to spend some class time exploring their own personal interests (often times with a partner). Some are focusing in on scientific ideas, others have focused more on art. Although there are no restrictions, I work hard to guide them towards a direction that will be most meaningful for them and produce the most learning possible (while still being enjoyable for each child). Please find out about your child's current Passion Time topic (and help them come up with their next one!). Thanks!

Passion Time - Round 2: Kiddos are gathering materials, performing experiments, researching scientific concepts, learning about important historical events, analyzing basketball stats & enjoying personal interests!#LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat #GeniusHour pic.twitter.com/FJUkmjveoZ
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) December 5, 2018

Music Concert

Students did such a nice job in their 4th grade music concert in December! Mrs. Tosheva and Mr. Berger did an outstanding job preparing the kids!

Rehearsing for our 4TH GRADE MUSIC CONCERT! Kids are singing songs that connect to our NATIVE AMERICANS social studies unit! Such a great way to connect academics & specials! Thanks Mrs. Tosheva & Mr. Berger!#LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat pic.twitter.com/ekHlSyMNP2
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) December 4, 2018

Classroom Investigations

Depending on the lesson, students often have the opportunity to move around the classroom to travel between stations. This lesson was an explorer lesson that had students analyzing maps, reading their textbook to find specific information, and paraphrasing information from their learning.

Learning about FAMOUS EXPLORERS in History Alive! America's Past:
- What was their background?
- Who sponsored them?
- What were their motives?
- When did they explore?
- What impact did they have?
- What route did they take?#LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat pic.twitter.com/xQIZpZOLBQ
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) December 4, 2018

Connecting Reading & IXL

We are extremely lucky to have access to IXL this year for our students! Not only do we use it in math class to solidify new math skills, but we also can use it in reading and language arts as well! Students practiced skills in several different areas before taking their most recent MAP tests. Hopefully, with a little practice, students will continue to improve their reading skills!

Practicing our @Schoolwide Fiction Reading skills on @IXLLearning! My kiddos LOVE this website!
- Main Idea
- Sequencing
- Compare/Contrast
- Cause & Effect
- Problem/Solution
- Sensory Details
- Making Inferences & more!#LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat pic.twitter.com/qLfNPnpavm
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) December 3, 2018

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December/January Parent Newsletter

12/2/2018

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If you are reading this in an email - please click on the title of this blog to see all of its content!

Here's a quick look at some of the things I have planned for December. Some things have already begun, while some are still to come!

KinderPals

KinderPals is a mentor program that I developed that uses a program called Peekapak, along with my own additions in order to help kindergarteners develop strong social-emotional skills. Fourth graders are taught lessons that they will teach to their mentees that focus on a specific social-emotional skill. Our first skill was KINDNESS and included the following activities:

Reading a picture book to the KinderPals
Looking through pictures of characters in our book being kind to others & identifying how they are being kind
Brainstorming people in our lives who are kind to us
Sorting "Random Acts of Kindness" into piles based on where those acts could be done (home, school, in the community)
Drawing a picture of the KinderPal being kind to someone in their life

We will do a KinderPals lesson each month the rest of the year. Students will keep the same KinderPal all year and continue to be their friend next year, as well.

Had our 1st #KinderPals meeting of the year! The kids LOVED working together, spread the importance of #Kindness, and made a new friend! Thanks @Peekapak, for making such a rich curriculum for our kiddos!#LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat #kinderchat #1stchat pic.twitter.com/SlJy1BWNwk
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) November 30, 2018

Explanatory/Informative Writing

We just finished up our first writing unit of the school year: Personal Narratives and immediately began our second: "Explanatory/Informative."

In addition to our typical goals for a writing unit, our main focus will be on ORGANIZATION this time. Students have already been instructed on:

Introduction & Conclusion Paragraphs
Body Paragraphs
- Topic Sentences
- Lead Off Sentences
- Follow Up Sentences
- Clincher Sentences

Currently, students are learning additional skills that will help them find success in this unit. They will begin writing a formal piece soon, and will be doing this on a Google Doc.

Started our new Explanatory/Informative WRITING unit today! I taught a formulaic way to organize their thoughts & explained that we will break away from this formula as soon as we demonstrate understanding. They really got it! I'm excited!#LearnLAP #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat pic.twitter.com/Mtg55gVPmi
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) November 28, 2018

World Compassion Day

November 28th was World Compassion Day and was an opportunity for students to focus on other people's needs, rather than their own. I chose to use the amazing (and free) curriculum from EverFi called "The Compassion Project" where students complete three tutorials focusing in on identifying others' needs and trying to make the best decision in different situations.

Students enjoyed this so much that they didn't want to stop when we ran out of time, so we will be continuing the tutorials in the coming days for those who are interested.

Please ask your child about it! Hopefully, they have a lot of great things to say about it!

Happy #WorldCompassionDay!

I'm excited to use #TheCompassionProject curriculum from @EVERFI because its given me an authentic reason to talk about caring for others w/my kiddos!

My students are becoming MUCH more empathetic & caring about others! Now that's #CompassionInAction! pic.twitter.com/Ou0TCAwhLv
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) November 28, 2018

Math: Fact Fixer

A very typical struggle of 4th graders is with regard to multiplication and division fact fluency. That being the case, our team has purchased the "Fact Fixer" program as one way to help our students improve their speed and accuracy with their multiplication and division facts.

Each math period, students will participate in a 5 minute lesson where we learn a pattern (a fact family), memorize the order of it, and then practice it. Student finish the short lesson by completing a worksheet that reviews old fact families and also practices the new one.

We started the #FactFixer program today in math class! We understand the value of math fact fluency and are doing something specific & intense to improve our skills in this area! Expecting big results! :)#LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat pic.twitter.com/LtvjGCGh4L
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) November 28, 2018

Literature Circles

Students continue to enjoy being able to choose good books that they can read with their friends in school! As the year progresses, students learn more and more skills and strategies that they can implement during Literature Circles.

If you'd like to come into the classroom and participate with your child during Literature Circles, please check out the SignUpGenius here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0a44a4ae2ba3f58-mrsolarzs

You will read aloud with your child and his or her group of peers. Occasionally, they will discuss the book on video, but you won't need to participate in those! Hope to see you some time!

Choosing new books for #LitCircles! Kids are IN LOVE with the novels they're reading & are super excited for our next round! They choose their favorite 5 out of the 10 I'm offering. I try to provide their 1st or 2nd choice each time. :)#LearnLAP #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat pic.twitter.com/hKm3nYJZQQ
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) November 28, 2018

Sown to Grow - Goal Setting

I'm using a new tool this year: Sown to Grow. The purpose of STG is to track progress on goals that each child sets for themselves (including the goals I set for them). The benefits of this program is that I can see all the data each child enters, give feedback, and help students determine if they need to change course or continue charging ahead. The evidence cited by each student creates a portfolio that they can look back at as they enjoy the rewards of their efforts.

In the past, we have done this on paper and kept these in our Leader in Me binders. Although this was a very successful way to do things, I often felt excluded from the process. This will allow me to be each child's assistant as they attempt to accomplish goals that set for themselves.

Just got started on @SownToGrow, our new favorite website for goal-setting, plan-making, evidence-tracking, metacognition-building & more! I'm expecting big things from my kiddos & their wildly important goals & they love it!#LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat pic.twitter.com/fOrPXu1DvF
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) November 28, 2018

Spelling City

We practice our Words their Way words together in small groups with cards that can be sorted. At the same time, students learn about the spelling patterns, roots, and/or definitions from me.

Later in the week, students play games on Spelling City to practice spelling the words and identifying their meanings. Spelling City is highly motivational and great at keeping my students' interest. They can be competitive against themselves without taking down others. They take spelling tests and vocabulary tests on this website, which sends the data to me so I know what they learned and what they struggled with.

Soon, we will re-assess students' spelling skills and mix up the groups again based on current ability.

"I love SpellingCity!"
"Yay! We're doing SpellingCity!"
"I'm going to break my record on Letter Fall!"

My kiddos really enjoy practicing their #WordsTheirWay words on @SpellingCity! A great Friday-Before-A-Week-Off activity!#LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat pic.twitter.com/KWkAkylriq
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) November 16, 2018

From "Our Geosphere" to "Energy"

We have officially completed the first of three main science units for the school year. "Our Geosphere" was about geology and earth's processes. "Energy" is a physical science unit that I LOVE to teach!!! We will be participating in several AMAZING hands-on activities and even doing an Alternative Energy Source debate.

Throughout this unit, students will learn Persuasive/Argumentative writing techniques, content area reading strategies, and how to find evidence to support their position in the debate.

Be sure to keep an eye out for some great pictures and videos of our Energy activities after the New Year!

For these few weeks before break, we are focusing on Try Engineering Together (see below) and social studies units on Explorers, including a fun project done entirely in class!

Completed our first FULL science unit of the year: "Our Geosphere!" Ended with a fun @MysterySci that got students identifying where rocks were likely discovered based on evidence!

Our @SCPrime Unit: https://t.co/eojdazgr4a #LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat pic.twitter.com/l5yS8WvnWq
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) November 16, 2018

Try Engineering Together

We were just interviewed today by Adam Harris from our district office regarding our participation in this program! We were accepted from hundreds of other classes to be able to have individual mentors who are engineers, scientists, and other professionals in STEM fields!

Throughout this program (which lasts all year long), students will be reading articles with their mentors (not in real time), participating in STEM projects like building the tallest tower that can hold a golf ball, and writing back and forth with their pen pals!

It integrates reading, writing, math, science, and engineering in a really fun way! I hope you'll hear more about it at home! :)

My students were SO EXCITED when they learned that they'll be #PenPals with scientists & engineers who'll teach us STEM skills & learn about each others' lives! Thank you #TryEngineeringTogether by @CricketMediaInc: https://t.co/H7RXQ7Hlni #LearnLAP #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat pic.twitter.com/z6LmCwqjDv
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) November 8, 2018

World Kindness Day

Any time I can help my students focus in on social-emotional topics or themes, I jump at the chance! World Kindness Day is one of my favorite opportunities to focus in on treating others with respect and kindness! We watch a wonderful video called "One Day" where the actors "Pay it forward" with kind acts as they go through their day. It was created and produced by an amazing woman named Orly Wahba who founded "Life Vest Inside" and has dedicated herself to spreading kindness around the world. Here is her website: www.lifevestinside.com/

Lesson: paulsolarz.weebly.com/short-term-projects/world-kindness-day-111317

Celebrating #WorldKindnessDay by watching @LifeVestInside's "One Day" video and then tweeting famous kindness quotes that we researched and made into Visual Quotes on @canva! Learning search techniques & graphic design!#LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat pic.twitter.com/gXvAXm4CYx
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) November 13, 2018

Passion Projects - Round 2

My kiddos work SO hard all day long that I really appreciate the opportunity to give some of our class time back to them to learn about their personal interests and to share those interests with others around the world! Passion Time is given to students twice each week for 30 minutes. Some choose to work independently, while others work with a peer. Topics range from academic subjects, to the arts, to cartoons & superheroes, to writing books! Students learn so many skills during this process and help each other tremendously! By the end of the school year, many students will tell me that Passion Time was their favorite time of the week! Check out your child's projects here:

- Round 1: paulsolarz.weebly.com/round-12
- Round 2: paulsolarz.weebly.com/round-22

I finished my passion project. Here is the link: https://t.co/DIrtzIKtst I'd love some comments! Thanks! By Harrison#LearnLAP #WGleads pic.twitter.com/WU0Ytl0tqK
— Mr. Solarz' Class (@MrSolarz) November 12, 2018

RtI Groups (WIN Time!)

Approximately four days each week for an hour each day, I try to meet the individual needs of each of my students. I run a Math Re-Teach/Pre-Teach group and three Words their Way groups at various levels. Additionally, I work with students on their Passion Projects to help them get the most out of their work time.

During this time, students also do independent work including:

IXL (Math and ELA skills),
DQWorld (digital literacy),
Sown to Grow (goal-setting & tracking), and
CTAC (critical/creative thinking puzzles and reinforcement activities).

My students spend 4 hours each week in RtI groups. Students receive remediation, enrichment, E.L., Social Work, Passion Time, Digital Safety/Responsibility & Words their Way. Here are some student reflections from the week:#LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat pic.twitter.com/jNeqW1K0ds
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) November 1, 2018

Reading Comprehension

As a comprehension assessment, I created an article for my kiddos on PERFECTION, a real problem with some of my students. I asked them several high level comprehension questions to help me determine which skills students excel at and which skills students struggle with. Throughout the assessment, students learned how to avoid perfectionistic tendencies and change their mindset to an improvement-focused mindset where growth and effort are the most important factors. Please remind your child at home that striving for perfection involves constant disappointment because being perfect is impossible. We'll work on this throughout the year, but I need students to be reinforced at home as well in order to have the most impact. Thanks!

Students are taking a reading comprehension test that I read aloud (including the questions), then had them re-read, highlight & answer. It's about PERFECTIONISM & is a great lesson on its own: https://t.co/c9nBY4XtIy #LearnLAP #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat pic.twitter.com/FJyUA1orNk
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) November 1, 2018

Observing Flash Flood Rivers

This was a fun science investigation where I asked students which materials we should use to create a flash flood river in a metal sheet pan. We used Play-Doh, sand, dirt, rocks, and other materials and placed them carefully throughout the pan in order to divert water around obstacles and observe meanders. Coach K even joined us for a few minutes to observe and participate!

The kids did a great job making suggestions and observations. They also showed great curiosity and interest in the activity throughout the lesson.

Creating FLASH FLOOD RIVERS in homemade water tables. The students proposed each material, their placement, and the procedure. Then we made changes and tried again! Studying EROSION & DEPOSITION.#learnlap #wgleads #d25itspersonal #4thchat #5thchat #scitlap #scichat pic.twitter.com/NTAnnJzeeX
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) October 11, 2018

Thrively Strengths Inventory

Hopefully everyone has had the chance to look through the Thrively Personal Skills Inventory that I included in your child's report card envelope. Your child answered dozens of questions and Thrively determined some characteristics of your child based on their answers.

If we have time this year, I hope to use this online tool to explore other personal interests and learn about social-emotional skills & unique careers throughout the school year.

My kiddos are completing their Strengths Assessment on @thrively so we can discover what we're good at & explore ways to develop our strengths further! Have your students do it for FREE here: https://t.co/eguCvBQybH #LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat pic.twitter.com/Y7pqTkdnrT
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) October 30, 2018

Learning Study Skills

Throughout the school year, students will be learning various study skills, test-taking skills, and note-taking skills that should help them in fifth grade and beyond!

History Alive has provided us with an authentic opportunity to read, take notes, study, and take tests in order to improve our study skills. We also used our Reader's Handbooks to discover additional strategies for learning & preparing for tests.

Learning how to study for our History Alive Quiz on Friday. Using #ReadersHandbooks from @GreatSource (aka @HMHCo) to learn strategies for studying & test-taking (note cards, highlighting notes, reviewing the text, etc.).#LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat pic.twitter.com/hyohoKPTjO
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) October 30, 2018

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From Mrs. Tosheva: Practice your Recorders over Thanksgiving Break!

11/15/2018

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Happy Halloween!!!

10/31/2018

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Here are the photos from today's Halloween parade and party!

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November Parent Newsletter

10/29/2018

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If you are reading this in an email - please click on the title of this blog to see all of its content!

Here's a quick look at some of the things I have planned for November. Some things have already begun, while some are still to come!

Words their Way

In our classroom, students have been pre-tested (using the Words their Way diagnostic assessment) and placed into groups based on their readiness. Students receive weekly, differentiated instruction in small groups in order to learn the spelling patterns, affixes, and definitions of each word in their weekly sort. After their small group instruction, all students play games on Spelling City in order to improve their spelling & vocabulary skills with those words. Finally, students take a post-test in spelling and vocabulary to see what they learned and what they didn't. If you're interested, check out the work they're doing on spellingcity.com!

Practicing our differentiated @WordsTheirWay words on @SpellingCity after spending a day working on the sorts, patterns & meanings and creating new words that fit the patterns. Engaging, Educational and Enjoyable!#LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat #3rdchat pic.twitter.com/LHVd1YWfdK
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) October 26, 2018

<----- Click on any images to enlarge them!

History Alive

The kiddos continue to work through the 4th grade social studies curriculum - we currently are finishing up our unit on Native Americans before we begin learning about explorers in the next unit. I personally LOVE History Alive because each lesson contains content-area reading that is appropriate for students at this level, there is a FUN hands-on component to each lesson, and the assessments are quick and straight-forward, focusing on the Big Ideas, rather than minute details and unimportant facts. History Alive quizzes are entered onto our Classroom Calendar one week before they happen, and students are writing them in their Assignment Notebooks a few days prior to the quiz as well. Link: paulsolarz.weebly.com/calendar

Kiddos are enjoying reading one of the few TEXTBOOKS that are student-friendly, succinct & visually appealing: HISTORY ALIVE: America's Past! I've used it for 10 years & LOVE the activities w/in each lesson! Thanks @TeachTCI!#LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat pic.twitter.com/p7Zq8cuvRW
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) October 25, 2018

Math in Focus

This month, students are finishing up a unit on Multiplication and Division of large numbers. We are doing traditional long multiplication and long division (if you'd like to help them at home). Students are allowed & encouraged (but not required) to bring home their math packet from each unit which contains a RETEACH, EXTRA PRACTICE, and ENRICHMENT section. This is what you can work on with your child at home if you are looking for opportunities to improve their math skills. I also strongly encourage practicing math facts with flash cards or any other method (especially multiplication and division facts). Finally, all students are now signed up for IXL (a letter was sent home with their sign-on information last week). Please encourage your child to work on the "Recommended" skills, the "Diagnostic" area, or the assigned skills from class (in RtI Time).

Starting to master TRADITIONAL MULTIPLICATION with the help of partners and practice! Kids are thankful to finally be able to work on problems rather than just listen to the teacher! It's been a long process!#LearnLAP #4thchat #5thchat #WGLeads @SingaporeMath #SingaporeMath pic.twitter.com/YWSFtKiHvY
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) October 25, 2018

IXL - Differentiated Instruction in Math and ELA

All students have now been signed up for IXL (a letter was sent home with their sign-on information last week). Please encourage your child to work on the "Recommended" skills, the "Diagnostic" area, or the assigned skills from class (in RtI Time). These are not assigned for homework, but the more they complete, the faster they will improve their skills in math and ELA. Students can also work on this during Homework Club before school and during Lunch Recess (see the weekly schedule for days that Homework Club needs to be cancelled due to meetings: paulsolarz.weebly.com/our-weekly-schedule).

Honing in on areas where each student needs extra practice/instruction in math & ELA on @IXLLearning! My kiddos believe that school is about effort & improvement so they're truly looking forward to working on their weak areas!#LearnLAP #WGLeads #d25ItsPersonal #4thchat #5thchat pic.twitter.com/0zqYOCIrLM
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) October 24, 2018

Thank you!

Thanks to everyone who contributed to our whole-school fund-raising effort! We exceeded our goal and the students earned a Silly String party as a Thank You! Lots of smiling faces!!!

We celebrated accomplishing our recent whole school fundraising goal by having a SILLY STRING PARTY outside! The kiddos went wild and had a great time making a mess and going crazy! Thanks for the help @OrangeRuler! :)#LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat pic.twitter.com/EBoqOap61M
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) October 23, 2018

Reading

Students continue to choose books that they'd like to read, and spend some of our reading time reading aloud, having discussions, and completing tasks from class. Schoolwide Mini-Lessons are taught each day, highlighting comprehension strategies, story elements, and text features of non-fiction, fiction, and poetry. In addition, we have read two whole-class novels: Fish in a Tree and Wishtree (I see a pattern). The kids LOVED these books, so please ask them about them at home! Next week, students will get to virtually meet the author of Wishtree in a Skype session where some students will get to ask the author questions!

Getting stronger at book discussions! My 4th graders record all of their discussions on video while they read together, upload to YouTube & end up with 100's of pieces of evidence for meeting standards: https://t.co/kBOI5MqLK6 #LearnLAP #WGLeads #d25ItsPersonal #4thchat #5thchat pic.twitter.com/XXnP9nXUla
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) October 23, 2018

Science - Our Geosphere

We're just about to wrap up the first science unit of the school year on geology. Students have learned about rocks, erosion, weathering, deposition, mountain-building, volcanism, continental drift, and more! Some of it was quite complicated, but students are doing a nice job of trying their best to learn everything they can. Students are also participating in many hands-on activities and paying attention during demonstrations. Our next science unit will be on ENERGY and is a unit that I've taught before (hurray!), so I have tons of really fun activities planned including a HUGE Energy Debate! I haven't hyped it up with the kids yet, but they will soon be talking about it at home! :)

Learned about TECTONIC PLATES today by cracking a hard boiled egg (dramatically) to show the cracks in earth’s crust. Then created various MODELS of the earth’s crust with oranges! Lots of outside the box thinking! #LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat pic.twitter.com/bQ0mFNLau7
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) October 12, 2018

Science (Continued)

Had some fun with Coach K making flash flood rivers and watching how water meanders around obstacles, erodes land that is soft or brittle, and accumulates at the lowest point. I took suggestions from the students to improve our water tables and students were encouraged to use any materials they could think of. Got some great video of the demonstration and some nice pictures of our experience!

Creating FLASH FLOOD RIVERS in homemade water tables. The students proposed each material, their placement, and the procedure. Then we made changes and tried again! Studying EROSION & DEPOSITION.#learnlap #wgleads #d25itspersonal #4thchat #5thchat #scitlap #scichat pic.twitter.com/NTAnnJzeeX
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) October 11, 2018

Soap Science

As a 4th grade, we all participated in a three day investigation of the properties of Ivory Soap, including the sink or float test, radiation test, and gravity test. Although all the students were together in the Commons for these lessons, they were perfectly behaved and attentive! I think they enjoyed the activities and learned a lot about OBSERVATION skills and recording those observations in our science notebooks!

Day 3 of SOAP SCIENCE!

Explored the effects of microwave energy on Ivory Soap (SO COOL!) and dropped it from heights of 10 feet, 30 feet & “chucking it hard” from 30 feet! Mrs. Nelms & Mr. Walton really crushed it today! □#LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat pic.twitter.com/KB2wynVrL3
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) October 12, 2018

Writing

Students are finishing up our second writing unit of the year on Narrative Writing. They are currently writing their final piece and getting regular feedback from me on it. Although the interface that we used was a bit clunky, students were flexible and willing to try out the new technology, allowing me to give valuable feedback to WritingCity. For the next writing unit, I will go back to the way I have been doing it for the past couple years using Google Docs and Google Classroom. This will make feedback a much smoother & immediate process. I will include a copy of their formal writing piece in the upcoming report card. Please know that some students missed some lessons due to absence or pullout, while others got a large amount of feedback from me, making their story more of a collaborative assignment!

Settling in to @WritingCityK5 to learn about PERSONAL NARRATIVE writing. Kids are teaching their neighbors outstanding mini-lessons that help clarify the skill that's being taught! So thankful for our student-led classroom & collaboration!#LearnLAP #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat pic.twitter.com/eKpTbIeAyq
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) October 10, 2018

Reflecting on the First Trimester

A few weeks ago, the students completed a reflection of some of the skills we value in our classroom. They determined if they were doing well with each skill or if they needed to improve. Based on their self-assessments and my own observations, I will be writing some goals for each student that will go into this report card. Students will be asked to try their best to improve each of these skills, make a plan for doing so, and monitor their progress (citing evidence along the way). Please keep an eye out for these goals in the report card envelope, and help your child achieve these goals if you are able! Thanks!

Thanks Dr. Duffy, Mrs. Darby & Mrs. Zapatka for lending me your REFLECTION forms!

I modified them to work for our classroom & my kids did a fantastic job reflecting, self-assessing & setting goals!

Forms:
- https://t.co/gbTnIGzfBE
- https://t.co/grvtBOq4ph #WGLeads #LearnLAP pic.twitter.com/eJuVkMmdaz
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) October 16, 2018

Cardboard Challenge!

Boy, did the kids have fun planning out their cardboard creations, gathering their supplies, building their contraptions, and making improvements along the way! Lots of creativity, problem-solving, and compromising went on during this activity! Students were prepared that they would not be allowed to take their creations home, so we spent some time taking pictures and videos of our creations. These were all uploaded and can be viewed here: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLc1S5r8u7b-kLU3QAa8jprCM-cPYnxvb

Boy did we have a fun time messing up the classroom today!!!

We took part in the 2018 Global #CardboardChallenge as a part of our @imagination Club! We designed & built robots, space stations, Bugatti’s, arcade games & more!#LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #5thchat #4thchat pic.twitter.com/RhFpJCeTCl
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) October 9, 2018

WIN Time (RtI Groups)

WIN Time (also known as RtI Time in our classroom) is well under way. Although the other classrooms are swapping kids, I've decided to keep everyone so we can be a little more flexible with time and in order to implement multiple groups for some students. All students have been assessed and a personalized education plan has been assigned to each student. Some will attend daily math re-teach/pre-teach while others will work independently on enrichment activities. Some will meet their needs through IXL online, while others will work with me at the center table. All students will receive small group instruction from me on Words their Way each week and students are always welcome to get additional support during Homework Club before school and during lunch recess. So far, I'm seeing a HUGE impact on students and look forward to watching everyone progress throughout the year!

RtI Groups started today! Time to meet the individual needs of my kiddos now that I know them better!

Each student got a schedule JUST FOR THEM & followed it according to directions! I met w/groups while others worked independently & w/others.#LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads pic.twitter.com/72ZQZYPPok
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) October 1, 2018

Passion Time

During our RtI Time, students are all given 60 minutes per week to work on Passion Time projects. Passion Time is an opportunity for students to explore personal interests, lingering curiosities, and improve on individual strengths. There is a process for each round of Passion Time that requires the students to document their journey. All experiences will culminate with a video explaining their learning and showing off any products that were created. I encourage you to comment in the blog post that your child creates by giving them compliments (and feedback if you're interested). The goal will be to improve our executive function skills (planning, meeting deadlines, managing time, etc.), discover new interests, and solidify our research skills. Please provide your child with any support you can, but please remind them that Passion Time is lowest on the totem pole of educational responsibilities - If they are behind in any assignments, they need to do those first! Thanks! :)

We began PASSION TIME Round 1 today!

Students' "Essential Questions" have been approved, blog posts have been started, a new @Trello board has been created, @langwitches' KWHLAQ Chart has been explained, self-driven learning is imminent!#LearnLAP #WGLeads #d25ItsPersonal pic.twitter.com/r1RoYDZ6Pa
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) September 28, 2018

Global Perspectives

This past month, we learned about the 17 Global Sustainable Development Goals created by the United Nations. We learned about each goal, sorted cards based on our opinions of what is most important, and tweeted out our thoughts. We will be doing more with this throughout the year, but the students demonstrated tremendous amounts of empathy for those around the world who are struggling are experiencing some sort of inequality. This was a tough lesson and should be explored further at home if anyone is willing to do so!

The 3-day lesson plan can be viewed here: paulsolarz.weebly.com/short-term-projects/the-uns-sustainable-development-goals

Lesson 2 of #GlobalGoalsWeek was spent learning about the UN's 17 #GlobalGoals & EVALUATING which goals are most meaningful to each of us. Student Quote: "This is way too hard! They're ALL equally important!"

SDG Cards: https://t.co/IZbxafKRB6 #LearnLAP #WGLeads #d25ItsPersonal pic.twitter.com/zRTRTPnYNw
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) September 28, 2018

Content Area Reading

I try hard to integrate subjects in order to get the most out of the time we have together! One way I do this is by incorporating lots of science and social studies reading and writing into the curriculum. Because non-fiction is different from fiction, students sometimes struggle to pull meaning from the text. By practicing with partners and the teacher, students improve their skills and transfer their learning to new situations. Please encourage your child to do non-fiction reading at home whenever possible. There are so many great topics that kids would enjoy reading about!

CONTENT AREA READING in Science!

Learning about wind & water erosion and deposition in preparation for our water table experiment on Thursday! The kids are trying their best to read for meaning and focus on main ideas!#LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads #4thchat #5thchat pic.twitter.com/cuCEScGtrw
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) September 25, 2018

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Late September/Early October At-A-Glance

9/24/2018

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If you are reading this in an email - please click on the title of this blog to see all of its content!

Here's a quick look at some of the things I have planned for October. Some things have already begun, while some are still to come!

History Alive - Lessons 2 & 3 - Native Americans

(1) We walked around the school, only to return to the classroom where we explored a "new land." We settled in comfortable, but not familiar spots.
(2) Identified why we chose our homes.
(3) Decided how to make home more comfortable.
(4) Why can today's geologists find fossilized ocean life underground in Kansas?
(5) What did the Americas look like during prehistoric times? How is it different from today?
(6) Explored maps to find the answer.
(7) Were Native Americans "native" to the Americas or did they migrate from somewhere else? Provide evidence to support your answer.
(8) Where did they migrate from? Where did they end up?
(9) Used maps to find the answer.
(10) What were some of the names of the tribes that settled throughout the Americas?
(11) Which ones settled in the Arctic? Which ones settled in Central America?
(12) Used maps to find the answer.
(13) READ ALOUD: "The Discovery of the Americas" by Betsy & Giulio Maestro.
(14) Some scientists believe that approx. 12,000 years ago, nomads followed mammoths across the temporary land bridge between Asia & North America...

NATIVE AMERICANS - Day 1

(1) What were some of the names of the tribes that settled throughout the Americas?
(2) Which ones settled in the Arctic? Which ones settled in Central America?
(3) Used these maps to find answer:#LearnLAP #WGLeads #4thchat pic.twitter.com/Fr9E6bmMtY
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) September 24, 2018

Science: The Scientific Method

Students will be learning how to conduct a fair test by keeping all of the variables the same, other than one that is being changed. They will make hypotheses, collect data, and draw conclusions from the data in an educated way.

In the past, we've done this through a Science Fair that was completely conducted in school, but this year we will be using our Science Companion curriculum and several "Science Investigations" that I've created for the kids to have fun with!

Be sure to ask your child how things are going in science class this year! Hopefully, they're enjoying it!

Learned how to CONDUCT A FAIR TEST in science today: independent, dependent & constant variables, planning out the steps of our investigation, how to identify needed materials & recording data in responsible ways!

PDF: https://t.co/0tymidi4cM #LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads pic.twitter.com/gmmYlS6C9b
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) September 21, 2018

Pinwheels for Peace

Mrs. Miller conducts this with the kids in Art Class each year. Feel free to check out the website for more information: pinwheelsforpeace.com/Pinwheels_for_Peace/home.html

Planted our pinwheels for #PinwheelsForPeace in the front of our school! Had a good time making them in art class - thanks Mrs. Miller!

Pinwheels for Peace website: https://t.co/YJf8gaQJ1I #LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads pic.twitter.com/spoSX5uxSi
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) September 21, 2018

#SkyDayProject

People all around the world are taking part in SkyDayProject to show they care about our sky and want us to come together to protect it for the benefit of all. We spent a few minutes taking pictures of the clouds in our sky and uploading them to the Sky Day Project Database through Twitter! Check out the collage of pictures here: skydayproject.org/

The purpose of the #SkyDayProject is to partner with artists and scientists interested in promoting greater understanding of our sky. From the surface of the earth to the edge of space - How does our sky function? What are its vulnerabilities? Why should people care? And what are the implications for our definition of community?

Why do scientists study clouds? Clouds are very important to Earth’s water cycle, and its weather and climate system! Scientists study clouds to better understand these systems. Many scientists use space-based instruments called satellites to monitor clouds.

Enjoyed observing our BEAUTIFUL SKY for the 2018 #SkyDayProject! Kids are tweeting their sky pictures right now and they captured some AMAZING shots!

Kids are helping each other with hashtags, spelling, and following directions! Woohoo!#LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads pic.twitter.com/WpKdIcFfPU
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) September 21, 2018

Math in Focus - Ch. 2

This chapter helps students build their multiplication skills through factors, prime/composite numbers, etc.

For parents who would like their child to have some homework, I highly recommend helping your child become fluent with their math facts (adding, subtracting, multiplying & dividing single digit numbers). This is the most important math skill students can work on at home!

If you'd like your child to bring home extra practice, ask them to bring home their "math packet" each night (and then make sure they bring it back the next day as we use it each day in class). In this packet are three sections: "Reteach" for skills they are struggling with, "Extra Practice" for skills they get but want to work some more with, and "Enrichment" for when students understand everything extremely well and want a challenge. I provide ALL of the supplemental materials that the district has provided us in these packets.

Hopefully, your child brought you our first test, along with the Standards-Based Grading cover sheet. Any questions, just ask! :)

Learning about PRIME & COMPOSITE NUMBERS in math!

Tried out my first #SilentLesson of the year - asked the kids to come up with a definition of each word as I wrote on the board. Took us a little longer than expected, but got it eventually!#LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads pic.twitter.com/NmRYSf3Yry
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) September 21, 2018

WritingCity - Narrative Writing

Students are using a "Flipped Instruction" model for writing, where they watch an instructional video from an expert writing teacher each lesson in class. Then, they are given a writing assignment using the skill taught in the lesson. Sometimes, they are asked to write something specific. Other times, they are given time to Free Write, while accomplishing the goals of the lesson.

Each lesson, students alternate who sits at the center table with me providing one-on-one feedback, allowing me to work with students every other writing period.

At the moment, we are reviewing capitalization, end punctuation, sentence structure, and story development. Narrative writing is our current focus. If your child has trouble brainstorming topics to write about during Free Writing, please help them at home by coming up with a short list of topics they can begin right away in class. Thanks!

Learning WRITING from our favorite virtual teacher: @joannavrteaches! Thanks @WritingCityK5 for such an outstanding program!

In three periods, we've already learned the importance of focusing on a moment, elaborating on an idea & the 6 Traits!#LearnLAP #WGLeads #d25ItsPersonal pic.twitter.com/x7Q8jfe7fW
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) September 20, 2018

Tweeting the Author of "Fish in a Tree" - Lynda Mullaly Hunt

We finished her book and wanted to say a few words to her! We'll do more of this with the books the kids choose throughout the year! It can be really exciting when an author replies back! :)

Dear @LynMullalyHunt:
I liked your book so much that I think you should make a sequel called "Nickerson's Restoration." A book where Ally & Travis open up their own restoration shop when she graduates high school!
- Landon
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) September 19, 2018

Continuing "Our Geosphere"

Lots of hands-on activities where students make meaning of complicated scientific concepts!

From Science Companion: Although landscapes on Earth are constantly changing, students may not notice those changes because they happen so slowly. Students begin the Our Geosphere topic by focusing on the changing landscapes in their school environment. They explain that water, wind, ice, and gravity are forces that shape landscapes. Throughout the remaining lessons, they explore how weathering, abrasion, erosion, and deposition can shape the landscape. They focus on the crosscutting concept of Cause and Effect as they explain what happens to rocks over time when they abrade each other as well as what happens when glaciers move over landscapes. They also plan and conduct investigations to model the effects of erosion by either water or wind. They control variables, collect data over multiple trials, and compare data that provides evidence to explain the phenomena they observe.

We discovered that "Glacial striations are scratches/gouges cut into bedrock by glacial abrasion." Sounds complicated, huh!?

Not when you use frozen blocks of ice w/rocks, sand & dirt in them to carve Play-Doh on video! Thx #ScienceCompanion!#LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads pic.twitter.com/sSXn6qdUu8
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) September 19, 2018

Imagination Club & Cardboard Challenge!

Imagine the World We Can Build
We imagine a world where creativity and entrepreneurship are core social values nurtured in schools, homes and communities everywhere; where all
children are taught to be creative thinkers and doers, and encouraged to make their very best ideas happen.

Our class is one of the original Imagination Chapters of the Imagination Foundation. Thanks to this partnership, we receive awesome free gifts that students get to use while being creative, and I spend time sharing our process with others around the world!

This year, we received a large cache of Legos, and in past years have received tools and equipment for our Cardboard Challenge on 10/4/18 and tech equipment like Ozobots, Little Bits, Spark Fun, etc.

If you have any extra cardboard at home that you wouldn't mind donating to our class in the coming days (before 10/4) please send it in with your child! We'll use it to build amazing creations on Cardboard Challenge Day! Thanks in advance!

Look what we received in the mail today!

We couldn't be more excited & thankful to the @imagination Foundation & @sohoimpact for their generous donation to our classroom's #ImaginationClub! Can't wait to do some AMAZINGLY CREATIVE PROJECTS!#LearnLAP #d25ItsPersonal #WGLeads pic.twitter.com/rE3DhkpI7b
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) September 19, 2018

Growing as Leaders

A1 - Student Leadership has many "faces" in our classroom, because we have Active Leaders & Passive Leaders. Everyone shows their leadership on a daily basis though, because it's part of our culture. Here are some recent examples...#5thchat #LearnLAP pic.twitter.com/tgsame46qF
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) September 19, 2018

I was out sick today, but got these messages from our amazing substitute:
- Best class I have subbed for this year. They really are eager to prove how they can help manage the classroom □
- The class has a message for you on the board! They earned ALL their points!#LearnLAP pic.twitter.com/Neg86hp8Qb
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) September 17, 2018

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September at a Glance

9/11/2018

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I wanted to give you a sneak peak into the types of things I'm planning for your child this month! Some are pretty standard, while others are fairly unique! My goal is to always make school an enjoyable place for kids to learn and to teach my students how empowering it is to be a lifelong learner!

Not everything in this blog post will show up on the email, so please click on the title to go to the web page! Thanks!

Grammar (Parts of Speech)

Not always the most exciting subject to teach, I've put together various online games, videos, and songs that will help your child understand how each part of speech works and created an assessment to determine how well they learned the information at the end of each session. No worksheets here!

Ask your child how SOCRATIVE worked as an online assessment tool and how they were asked to take the quiz as many times as they needed to in order to show understanding (within 20 minutes).

We should end this unit on 9/14 and then begin Narrative Writing the following week.

Check out all of our lessons here: paulsolarz.weebly.com/grammar

"Lolly Lolly Lolly, Get Your Adverbs Here!"

Using #SchoolHouseRock and other online songs & games to teach ADVERBS! Check out the entire lesson here (minus the teacher-led mini-lesson): https://t.co/BFXrL8jpqQ #LearnLAP #CelebrateGrowLead #d25Learns pic.twitter.com/1SrfwYi3J5
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) September 5, 2018

History Alive Ch. 1 - Geography

History Alive is a program I discovered over 10 years ago and ended up encouraging the district to adopt for grades 4-5. It replaced our old, complicated social studies textbooks and provided teachers with fun, hands-on learning experiences and short, informative readings for the students, all while still teaching the Big Ideas and most important information!

This chapter helps students answer the following Essential Question: What can geography teach us about the United States? They do this through activities that help students learn important geography terms like latitude & longitude, cardinal directions, tributaries & gulfs, etc.

All of this will help us prepare to do Mystery Skype's with other classes around the world in the coming months. Here is how we will do Mystery Skype in our classroom.

Why do we need LATITUDE & LONGITUDE?

I set up a crime scene in the classroom w/objects strewn about. "Draw me a map of the crime scene!" Accuracy was poor.

Create a system that improves the quality of our maps! A GRID SYSTEM! "Stapler is at D5!"#LearnLAP #d25Learns #sschat pic.twitter.com/AOvI2VKlHj
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) September 4, 2018

Math in Focus Ch. 1 - Adding & Subtracting Large Numbers

Following the philosophy and teaching methods of the Singapore Math model, students are learning how to borrow, carry, and regroup. Students began by using chips and place value mats, but have moved on to doing things more abstractly at this point.

There are three standards being assessed on this chapter test:

Recognize that in a multi-digit whole number, a digit in one place represents ten times what it represents in the place to its right.
Read and write multi-digit whole numbers using base ten numerals, number names, and expanded form. Compare two multi-digit numbers based on meanings of the digit in each place using >, =, and < symbols to record the results of comparisons.
Fluently add and subtract multi-digit whole numbers using the standard algorithm.

Subtracting 5-digit numbers using our chips to borrow! Students now understand why borrowing works and will hopefully do better with long subtraction. #LearnLAP #CelebrateGrowLead #d25Learns #mathchat #SingaporeMath pic.twitter.com/IRdaOpVguM
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) August 31, 2018

MindYeti - Mindfulness in the Classroom

The focus of my last blog post was all about the free app called "MindYeti" created by the same company that makes our Social-Emotional program called Second Step that we'll be starting soon as well.

We use MindYeti every day in the middle of our afternoon to calm our bodies & minds and to help us concentrate better during our last lesson of the day. Students are already raving about how it's helping them and I'm honestly noticing a better end to our day! I'm no expert in mindfulness, but I like what I see so far! My students last year really enjoyed it as well! Check out the blog post here: paulsolarz.weebly.com/parents-newsletter/mindfulness-in-the-classroom-mindyeticom

Whole Class Novel - "Fish in a Tree"

Each school year, I like to start the year with a novel that I read aloud to the kids while they read along. The main purpose is to allow the novel to help me create a classroom community that teaches children to embrace each others' differences, learn respect and empathy, and begin to build our family-like atmosphere. In addition, it allows me to teach reading comprehension strategies, questioning techniques (Signposts from Notice and Note), and story elements.

For the past few years, I enjoyed reading "Wonder" to my fifth graders, but I thought that book would be better off staying in 5th grade for those kiddos (and yours next year!), so I chose a book with a similar message: "Fish in a Tree." Ally is the main character, and she has dyslexia and considers herself to be dumb. Between the book and our "Marble Theory" meeting, students discover that we all have amazing gifts and talents, but that we're all different so when we compare ourselves to each other, we may feel dumb or less talented. Please reinforce this message at home with your child as they discover their strengths and weaknesses. Thanks!

Enjoying our Shared Reading of "Fish in a Tree" by @LynMullalyHunt! Students have lots of questions & are enjoying getting to know Ally!

Students learn to move furniture, get pillows & follow along as I read. Getting better each day!#LearnLAP #d25Learns #CelebrateGrowLead pic.twitter.com/lHNUQpluQa
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) August 29, 2018

Science - Our Geosphere

The science unit we learn about in the Fall Trimester is called "Our Geosphere" and deals with earth science, specifically geology. So far, we've learned about weathering, erosion, abrasion, deposition, the three rock types, and landslides. We've done so by completing the lessons in our Science Companion curriculum and by supplementing with activities from Mystery Science and online videos.

Although landscapes on Earth are constantly changing, students may not notice those changes because they happen so slowly. Students begin the Our Geosphere topic by focusing on the changing landscapes in their school environment. They explain that water, wind, ice, and gravity are forces that shape landscapes. Throughout the remaining lessons, they explore how weathering, abrasion, erosion, and deposition can shape the landscape. They focus on the crosscutting concept of Cause and Effect as they explain what happens to rocks over time when they abrade each other as well as what happens when glaciers move over landscapes. They also plan and conduct investigations to model the effects of erosion by either water or wind. They control variables, collect data over multiple trials, and compare data that provides evidence to explain the phenomena they observe.

"Will a mountain last forever?" Completing an investigation to learn about our GEOSPHERE, erosion, and how jagged rocks become rounded pebbles over time. Thanks @MysterySci! Lesson: https://t.co/4Kh6CowHg3 pic.twitter.com/C5fGSaLuH0
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) August 30, 2018

DQWorld - Internet Safety and Digital Citizenship Training

Since we'll be using computer a lot this year and next, students need to be trained to use them safely. DQWorld helps me teach them the importance of internet safety, avoiding cyberbullying, and creating a positive digital footprint. Check out the website for yourself: us.dqworld.net/#!/landing/whatisdqworld

Also, check out the DQWorld Parent Portal to download resources & discover what kind of "digital parent" you are with your children: whatsyourdq.org/

Learning about DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP and how to manage our screen time through online games! Since our class is pretty homework-free this year, we need to learn how to spend all our free time wisely & responsibly! Thanks @DQ_World!#LearnLAP #CelebrateGrowLead #d25Learns pic.twitter.com/a5ATmqhj9I
— Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) August 30, 2018

SchoolToolsTV with Rusty May - A Daily Social-Emotional Tip!

I used this resource every day last year with my students and found that they truly became more caring, empathic students who respected each other and appreciated each other's differences! I hope to see similar results this year with this amazing group of 4th graders!

From schooltoolstv.com/:

Teaching requires a healthy relationship between the teacher and student. The better the relationship, the better the results. Bullying happens when children feel disconnected. The better the connection, the better the results. Social skills like respect, responsibility and resiliency are necessary in order for learning to take place and must be taught and modeled by the classroom teacher. The better the social skills, the better the results. In just a few minutes each day, we can help lift the entire class socially, emotionally and academically which will give you better results.

International Dot Day - Friday, September 14th

Check out the lesson here: paulsolarz.weebly.com/projects--mini-lessons/international-dot-day-september-15th-ish

So much more to come! Need to get some sleep for now! :)

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Mindfulness in the Classroom - MindYeti.com

9/8/2018

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We'll be using this free program in the classroom in the coming days. If you'd like to learn more about it, check out the videos or press release below. Feel free to use it at home as well if your child likes it!

Committee for Children Launches Mind Yeti –Mindfulness for Kids and Their Adults

SEATTLE – Can mindfulness settle the hubbub for kids? Committee for Children (CFC) believes it can. The global leader of research-based social-emotional learning education recently announced the worldwide beta release of Mind Yeti, a free, easy-to-use guided mindfulness resource designed to help kids calm down, focus themselves in preparation for learning and better connect to themselves and others. Mind Yeti is a mobile responsive web app that brings mindfulness to kids–and the adults who care about them–using fun, bite-sized audio sessions and animated videos. Mind Yeti’s research-based content thoughtfully targets the stress and anxiety that children and adults deal with both in the classroom and at home. Mind Yeti helps children develop skills to regulate their own feelings and behaviors at home and at school.

As a trailblazer in social-emotional learning education, Committee for Children developed Mind Yeti in consultation with leaders in the field of mindfulness in education and research, including Dr. Kimberly A. Schonert-Reichl, a renowned expert in the area of social-emotional learning research with children and adolescents. The Mind Yeti team also worked with Molly Lawlor, an expert in social-emotional development throughout childhood and the application of mindfulness within the school context.

“We’ve worked with top researchers and experts in children’s entertainment to tailor a mindfulness tool just for kids,” said Mia Doces, Committee for Children Director of New Mission Ventures. “Mind Yeti uses animated videos, metaphors that help kids understand complicated concepts, and interesting soundscapes to make mindfulness accessible and fun. Students are telling us they feel calmer immediately after using Mind Yeti. That’s really good news because a calm, focused mind can make a big difference in school performance, both socially and academically.”

Research examining mindfulness-based approaches in education has found improvements in student attention and social-emotional skills, increases in prosocial behavior, and decreases in aggression and symptoms of depression.

CFC is uniquely positioned to bring the benefits of mindfulness to elementary school children as the organization’s curricula reach schools in over 70 countries, including 30% of all U.S. elementary schools. Each year, more than 10.6 million children benefit from CFC’s programs. Plans for a full product with additional content are currently in the works.

“We believe the timing is right for this product and the data seems to bear this out,” said Joan Cole Duffell, Executive Director of Committee for Children. “Educators across the country have been asking us for it and in the first week after launch, we’ve already had more than 10,000 visitors to the site.”

Mind Yeti’s groundbreaking approach to mindfulness in education helps both teachers and students come together to create a happy, calm and positive classroom. This kid-friendly media – available via web and mobile devices – has zeroed in on the importance of creating a unique language that encourages open and honest dialogue around the significance of having a calm and focused mind, as well as the benefits of expressing gratitude and kindness. No training is needed to use Mind Yeti, which allows individuals who are new to mindfulness, as well as those who have previous mindfulness experience to actively participate in the sessions with the youngsters in their life.

Mind Yeti was not only developed for elementary-school-age children and teachers to integrate mindfulness throughout the day, but also as a way for families to discover the power of mindfulness together.

Mind Yeti is simple to use and can be accessed by teachers and parents alike, anytime, anywhere on any connected computer or mobile device. For more information, or to sign up for Mind Yeti, visit MindYeti.com.

About Mind Yeti
Mind Yeti is a research-based mobile-friendly web app designed for families, educators and students to enjoy mindfulness together. Mind Yeti currently offers twelve guided audio sessions that help students practice how to calm themselves, focus their attention, and connect better to themselves and others. Individuals can sign up for free at MindYeti.com. Connect with Mind Yeti on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Welcome to the NEW SCHOOL YEAR!!!

8/20/2018

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I'm really looking forward to working with you and your child this year! This website is the location for all newsletter components and photos. I'll go through all the specifics on Curriculum Night and answer any questions you have. See you all soon!

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You might want to "UNSUBSCRIBE" from this feed (see below)...

8/20/2018

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Thanks for a wonderful school year last year! Hope your child has a great time in middle school!!!

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Our Last KinderPals Meeting

5/22/2018

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Fifth Grade Music Concert

4/23/2018

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These kids did so awesome!!! :)

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Have a Wonderful Spring Break!!!

3/23/2018

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I just finished my last Parent-Teacher Conference of the year and just wanted to say how thankful I am for all the kind words and support! I definitely have THE BEST parents and students any teacher could ask for!!! I hope you all enjoy the time with your child(ren) over the break! Please give them my best!

Here are a few notes:

Illinois Science Assessment - Each year students in grades 5, 8, and 11 are required to participate in the Illinois Science Assessment. This assessment is designed to challenge student’s science acumen and provide teachers information regarding student’s science knowledge. The test is approximately 18 questions testing student’s in Earth Science, Engineering and Technology, Life Science, and Physical Science. From start to finish the test takes approximately 50 minutes. Westgate 5th Graders will be taking this test on Wednesday April, 4th. We will most likely try to take this test in the morning some time.

Yearbook Orders: ORDER YOUR YEARBOOK TODAY! Yearbooks are available for $15 each through pre-order only through March 30th. Add your child's picture and name on the front cover for $3. New this year, you can design a custom 4-page insert for your student for $10, shipped to your home. Perfect for our 5th graders! Go to westgatepta.com for details.

4/3 - Classes Resume!

Important Links for you to Bookmark:

Blog Assignments: paulsolarz.weebly.com/blog-assignments
Your child's ePortfolio (Blog): paulsolarz.weebly.com/student-eportfolios/2017-2018-eportfolios
Homework: paulsolarz.weebly.com/calendar
Homework Club Schedule: paulsolarz.weebly.com/our-weekly-schedule

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Our Class was Mentioned by the Imagination Foundation!

3/13/2018

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Source: mailchi.mp/imagination/we-love-the-library-986221?e=f65c9f94a6

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Leadership Day 2018

2/16/2018

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The morning Poster Session was a huge success... More info to come!

Then, we hosted some guests in our classroom and explained how we do Goal-Setting in our classroom!

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Becoming Forensic Detectives with Chemistry!

2/16/2018

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"Oh my goodness!"

"No way!

"Woah!"

Kids are discovering some amazing properties of matter through experimenting and observing chemical and physical changes. Today was just a "Water Test," but soon we'll be experiencing more complex reactions with simple household products. Our final "test" will be to investigate a crime scene and use our knowledge of these chemical tests to determine which products were used to commit the crime!

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Blog Assignment Due Date Schedule

2/8/2018

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Hello Parents!

I hope you are all enjoying the snowy weather we're having! It's meant a lot of shoveling for me, but at least I'm getting a little exercise! It sounds like the kids have been enjoying sledding & building snow forts!

I wanted to let you know that I sent home with each child the "Tentative Blog Assignments" checklist for this trimester in their classroom mail today. I've also posted a PDF of it below. I am asking that students get caught up on blogs before NEXT weekend (2/15) so I can grade them over the weekend and then give them feedback on 2/18. This will be called their "Blogs BEFORE Feedback" grade on the report card.

They will have another week to improve their blog posts (just like last trimester) and I will grade them again on the weekend of 2/22. This will be called their "Blogs AFTER Feedback" grade on the report card. This will be twice the points of the "Blogs BEFORE Feedback" grade.

If you can help your child meet these deadlines for me, it will help a lot. There is a small chance that I will fall one week behind. This extra time is built into the schedule and I will let you know if that happens! Thanks so much in advance! - Paul

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Cogat Testing next week...

2/2/2018

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Students will be taking the Cogat tests next week. I put some information about the Cogat tests below (but it's just what I found online - nothing official). There's nothing students have to do to prepare, other than get a good night's sleep and eat a healthy breakfast. Here is our tentative schedule (this blog post will change if needed)...

Monday, 2/5 at 10:55am (Verbal Battery)
Tuesday, 2/6 at 9:10am (Quantitative Battery)
Thursday, 2/8 at 9:10am (Non-Verbal Battery)

All screen shots from:
www.testingmom.com/tests/cogat-test/

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Asking "Deep Questions" to the Authors of the Books We're Reading

2/1/2018

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Our mini-lesson today was to ask the author of our Literature Circle book a "deep question." One that really makes the author and/or others think. I also asked the students to answer their own question in the way they think the author will answer it on their video discussion. The final step was tweeting out our question and our video discussion to the author! We received some responses back. Here are a few. (I'll add more as I get them)...

Still awaiting a reply...

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