Flash Mob at Fox Hill!

On Friday, Fox Hill students were surprised by a Flash Mob dance performed by their teachers! Performed to the Back Street Boy's song "I'll be the One", the dance stemmed from a theme at Fox Hill that teaches students that it only takes "One" person to stand up to bullying and help initiate a change. We began the year be reading the book named "One" by author Kathryn Otoshi and have carried that message through out the year in various ways... the latest being Friday's Flash mob. Video coming soon!

Flaky Book Report!
Yesterday, students brought home the guidelines and rubric for their newest book report which is due after winter break. Please see the "Projects" page of the blog for details!

Book Reviews!

Presenting the first attempt at Room 16's Book Reviews. Students wrote their reviews and recorded themselves in a makeshift "photobooth" in class. I think they're dynamite! Enjoy!!

Science Test

Kids- don't forget you have a science test this week!  If you brought home your book or science binder to study, please bring them in tomorrow so that you have them to review in science class tomorrow!  See you soon!!!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Scholastic Book Orders

The first round of Scholastic Book Catalogs went home with the kids today.  Attached was a sheet that explains that you may order books in two ways:

• send in your order and check to me

OR

• order online directly from home!  Simply go to scholastic.com, create your own lg in, and order away!  Make sure you use the code: JZ973 to attache the order to our classroom

*** If possible, online ordering is best- our classroom earns extra points for online orders to help

buld our classroom library.

Either way, books are delivered directly to the classroom and come home in your student's backpack.

This month, orders are

due by Friday, Dec. 9

to ensure delivery before the holidays

Rocket Launch

Tomorrow is the ROCKET LAUNCH!

We will be launching our personally constructed rockets tomorrow in the Fox Hill Playground.  Blast off is at 1:15.  All are welcome to witness science in action!!

Rocket Building

Due to the trick mother nature played on us this past Monday, we have rescheduled the building of rockets for this Friday morning, 11/4/11 from 9-11am.  Any parent who has had a CORI at central office completed and would like to join us in my classroom to help build the rockets is welcome to come on!

Lowell Mills Field Trip

Last week, our class went back in time to experience life as a Lowell Mills girl of the early 1900's.  Later, each student simulated having their passport inspected at Ellis Island and investigated typical items brought to America by various immigrant groups.  For more photos, check out the Pics and Flix page!  Thank you to Mr. Budina and Ms. Nathan for being our fearless chaperones!

Field Trip

This Thursday our class will take a field trip to the Lowell Mills as part of our Social Studies unit focusing on immigration.  This trip is mostly indoors, but there is some outdoors walking.  Given the weather forecasted, please try to dress warmly!  Lunches should be brought in disposable bags, not canvas lunch bags.

Book Fair Update

Our class did attend the Scholastic Book Fair this afternoon.  Some children created "wish lists" that went home today.  They have all week to return to the fair to make purchases.  There is also time from 6:30-7:30 on Wednesday evening for parents who would like to attend.

Book Fair

This week is the annual Scholastic Book Fair in the Fox Hill Library.  Our class is scheduled to attend the book fair on Monday, 10/24.  Please send in money if you would like your child to make a purchase that day.  Another option is for students to browse on Monday, create a "wish list", and return later in the week to make a purchase.  Finally, there is one evening when the book fair is open to parents later into the evening.  Please check the weekly Fox Hill newsletter for times, and I will update this on Monday as well with more specifics.

Picture Day!

Don't forget that tomorrow is class picture day!  Please come in with your picture order form and money and be ready to smile!

Rocket Day and Math Olympiad

Many exciting things are happening around here!

Kids are learning about force and motion in science class.  To see their work in action, 4th graders will both build and launch their own rockets!  Lots of help is needed to make this a successful event.  A form went home today asking for adults to do the following:
- send in $3.00 for the rocket kits
- sign up to help build rockets on 10/31
- sign up to attend a workshop on 10/18 to learn about the rocket building process

The actual launch is on 11/4 with Mr. Musselman and Ms. Pavlicek from the Burlington Science Center

The other announcement made last week was that a Math Olympiad will be formed soon.  Students who are interested will complete a pre-test this week in school and submit it to Mrs. Dunn.  Kids will find out soon who is invited to be part of this fun and challenging group.

Finally, we have had three small additions to our classroom: box turtles from the Science Center!  Please check the pics and flix page for photos of Dorito, Maya, and LuLu and ask your children about their new class pets!

Change in art/PE

For next week ONLY, we need to switch our PE and art days with Mrs. Dunn's classroom.  We will have art on Monday 10/3 and PE on Tuesday 10/4.  Don't forget sneakers!

Field Trip

Our first Field Trip notice went home today!  We're going to the Lowell Mills on Thursday, October 27th.  The cost of the field trip is $10, due in next Friday, October 7th.  PTO will be paying for the buses.  If you'd like to chaperone, please don't forget that you need to have a CORI form on file with the School Department.

Signing up for Band/Instrument lessons

Instrument lessons began today at Fox Hill School.  Among the clamoring of sounds were several students who were still wanting to join.  If interested, please use the link below.

www.elemband.wordpress.com

A Day in the Life of Room 16

Quick updates

Hi everyone,
It was great to meet so many of you at the Back to School Night last week! I have been working on putting a link on the blog to the video that we made, but am running into difficulties. I'm hoping to have it done by tomorrow. I hope you enjoyed it- we sure enjoyed filming it!

The kids have brought home information about their first book report assignment today. Details can also be found on the Projects page of this blog.

Band/instrument lessons start tomorrow, so please make sure kids bring in the instruments. This time tomorrow, you may be lucky enough to hear a sample of what they've learned! My daughter is trying the trombone at Memorial, so parents, I feel your pain!

Day in the Life of Room Sixteen Video

Hi all, Click on the link below to view our class video!

Back to School Night

Tomorrow night is Back To School Night for adults, from 7-8:30pm.  There are two sessions in the classroom as well as an all school presentation by our Principal, Mrs. Johnson, so if you cannot be here right at 7pm, don't worry, you can catch me at the second session!  The kids and I have been working on a special secret project that they are very excited about.... if you can't come in tomorrow night, I've assured them that I will post it to the blog soon after.  Hope to meet you all soon!

First full week of school

Here we go!  It's officially our first full week of school.  I hope everyone is adjusting to getting up early and coming in to Fox Hill.  It's a big adjustment after a nice, long summer!  Because we have so many children who have come to us from other schools and other towns, we are spending extra time getting acquainted with each other.  Even in the coming weeks, our classroom will continue to take time to get to know each other better and to understand how to work together as a team. While I warned the students that this week we will really buckle down and get to work, you should know that the pace is slightly slower than it will be later in the year because time needs to be devoted to establishing rules and routines for each subject and activity.
       Last week, we read a book titled "One" by Katherine Otoshi which is a simple, symbolic story teaching that it only takes "one" to stand up to a bully.  There was also a school wide assembly centered on the book.  This idea will serve as a theme throughout the year at Fox Hill with activities and contests tied into the message.  Ask your child what he/she thought of the book!
      Don't forget to check out the other tabs here!  I have added the days of our specials and will be adding homework as it is assigned.

Welcome to Room 16

Hi everyone,

I hope you are enjoying the summer.  When not swimming with my kids or walking the dog, I am busily preparing lessons and activities for the coming fall.  As you know, I am filling in as the 4th grade teacher in Mrs. Nolte's room this year, while she takes some time to enjoy her growing family.  I feel very furtunate to be joining such a strong team of teachers.  Fourth grade is a challenging year, but my goal is for your children to not only grow and learn, but to really enjoy the journey.  Students quickly learn that I love to joke and laugh, I love to get to know them personally, but I also hold them to the daily standard of putting forth their best effort.  We are going to have a great year!

You may not know that this will be my third year at Fox Hill School.  For the past two years, I have taught reading both in classrooms and in small groups during the intervention period that was added when the new Response to Intervention schedule was adopted.  Many of your children will be familiar with me through that role, and from my presence during some of their lunch periods.

Before joining Fox Hill School, I worked on the other end of the human spectrum in senior care, first as a nursing home social worker and later in assisted living homes in both Massachusetts and the Seattle area.  Becoming a teacher was a lifelong goal towards which I had a meandering route!

This blog is my first technilogical undertaking.  I hope to add photo's of the classroom and later, with your permission, photo's of your children at work in school.  I see this also as a place to digititally showcase some of the students' work.  As a parent of two children in grades 2 and 4 at Memorial School, I am keenly aware of how much many parents would enjoy a window into the day of their children.  That is what I hope to provide here. 

Additionally, I expect to have a section that will help you to track the assignments and homework given.  This is in addition to, but not replacing, the students' own assignment notebook.  While it is important for students to learn to pace themselves and be responsible for their homework, I feel it is equally important for you as a parent/guardian to be able to monitor as needed and help them to be successful in completing tasks on time.

I will be sending a letter home directly to the children entering my classroom with a small activity for them to complete and return to me.  The results will be used in a "getting to know you" type of activity during our first days of school.  I will also be sending you a letter, and posting a list here, of supplies that need to be sent in on the first day of school.

In the meantime, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email me at hwood@bpsk12.org. 

Warm summer regards,
Mrs. Heather Wood