Gobbling Up Division!!

In 4th grade we are thankful for...DIVISION!!! We are exploring the relationships between division and multiplication! It is coming so natural to the students that they don't even realize they are actually  dividing! Most students entering the 4th grade are scared to even think about the word "divide"! Now they see that it's not so bad after all! We are learning division strategies such as: repeated subtraction, making equal groups, drawing arrays, and fact families! All of these strategies are featured on the feathers of our Thanksgiving turkeys!!! I encourage the parents to stop by and admire our beautiful work!

What's the "MATTER"???

In science, we are currently learning about "matter"!!! This week, we are exploring the physical properties of matter. Some properties are observable such as size, shape, and color. Other properties of matter are measurable such as mass, temperature, and density. To obtain a better understanding of this concept, we used our five senses to observe the properties of a tootsie roll. The students really loved this fun and engaging science lab. Here is one student from our class who is giving a brief overview of the expectations of the lesson. As you can see, he's learning and having fun at the same time!!!

Integrating Technology

In our classroom, I have a fun technology tool that I use to keep students engaged in math and science lessons called an interactive smartboard. Today we played a game called, "Fruit Shoot"! This is a great way to practice multiplication facts in a nonthreatening way! I encourage all of my students to play this game along with Reflex Math to build fluency with the facts. Incorporate it into the home learning routine each night to ensure success!!!

First Flag Raising!

Today was our first flag raising of the school year and it was full of excitement! The principal who opened Don Brewer in 2002, Annetta Kornblum, graced us with her presence! All of us thanked her for putting so much time and love into the school to make it what it is today! She has been a principal in Duval County for 18 years and next month will be retiring from the school system. Mrs. Kornblum's picture will be hanging up in the front office and a plaque in the library to honor and acknowledge her for all of the wonderful years of leadership. Mrs. Kornblum and Mrs. Collins' even opened up the 2002 Time Capsule to find many memories from 12 years ago...items that were found included a huge cell phone, our school song, a lunch menu, favorite movies, and favorite books!

We also had our Reading Celebration to get the students and teachers excited about reaching their book goals this year. As a school, we must read a total of 33,000 books in order to meet our goal for the year. If we do, students will get to throw pies at Mrs. Collins', Mrs. White, and Mrs. Sheroff!!! I know we all want to see this...so let's READ, READ, READ! Some of us from the class dressed up for the Reading Celebration. The costumes tie in with our theme, "Learning Takes Us Places"!

Spirit Day!!!

On Early Release Wednesdays, the entire school wears blue and yellow for Spirit Day! This year our spirit shirts are yellow with our school mascot on the back...GO BOBCATS!!! A new T-shirt order form was sent home yesterday if you were unable to purchase a shirt the first time...here's your chance to get one! Not only are these days fun for the students and teachers, it's a great way to remind parents that their children will need to be picked up at an earlier time! Our next spirit day will be on Wednesday, September 25th!!!

Interactive Journals

In math class, we are currently learning about place value of whole numbers through the millions period. I decided to have the students create place value pockets in their interactive math journals. Students had a great time arranging their place value pockets in order and cutting out the digits 0-9 to go along with the assignment. Once the pages were created, I asked students to show me a specific number that I called out in "standard form". For example, create a 6 digit number with a 5 in the thousands place or show me what five hundred three thousand, six hundred thirty looks like. I even made it more challenging by asking the students questions like, "What would the number look like if it was 10,000 more or 100,000 less?". The great thing about interactive journaling is that students can use this as a reference tool throughout our study of place value!

First Day Jitters!

Mrs. Stewart and I were definitely ready for our first day! This is our second year teaching together, but have been friends for a very long time!

I have to admit I didn't get much sleep the night before the first day because I had so much excitement building up inside of me!

I found this really cute idea on Pinterest that I used this year as a "Welcome Back to School" treat! It was a bag filled with Lucky Charms that said, "I'm Lucky to Have You"! We ate the treat during our snack time along with playing getting-to-know-you games! The first day is also all about reviewing the rules and learning new rituals and routines! I must say our first day went very smoothly!

Mrs. Collins', our principal, gave each classroom a book titled, The Energy Bus. We read the first rule on the bus which was to CREATE A POSITIVE VISION. We all set positive goals for ourselves...throughout the school year we will continue to monitor our goals to make sure we reach them by the end of the school year!

Meet the Teacher Day

The room is finally ready! The faculty and staff at Don Brewer have been working so hard to make sure everything is ready for our students! As you can see, the room is empty, but not long after I took this photo, I had excited children and their happy parents stopping by to say hello and check out their new classroom! I could definitely feel the excitement as students explored the classroom with a scavenger hunt that I like to do with the children to become familiar with their new surroundings. The first day is right around the corner and I'm very happy to get this new school year under way!

Having a "ball" at Don Brewer!

During preplanning, our principal, Mrs. Collins', surprised the faculty with a bowling field trip! It was a great way to relax and enjoy time with our DB family before the first day of school. This is a picture of our fourth grade teachers...what a good looking group of ladies!