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September 14, 2020 - MONDAY
Welcome Students and Families!
You have each received a new SEESAW learning code this weekend via an email to each parent. Hopefully you have already used your code to open up your 4th GRADE SEESAW class. You will know what special you have by looking at your "Daily Schedule". Sept. 14th is an "A Day" - you have gym class. The next day will be a "B DAY" and so on. As 4th graders, you should know this drill by now!
Each day, a little before 9:00, you should be preparing to go to your SPECIAL AREA classZOOM. Your special area teachers can and will post on our SEESAW classroom. So keep an eye out for their assignments and announcements. Click on the folders icon in SEESAW to open up all the folders and you will see there is a color folder for each special class. Open the folder and the link is somewhere in there. Sometimes you have to scroll down for it.
I will post each morning on SEESAW too! I will do my best to let you know what you will need for each ZOOM class we have. Today I posted it on here as well. Maybe, checking in your SEESAW class a little before 9 each day will be a good idea, so you can look at all you will need to have for your day. Teachers will let you into the ZOOM class at the assigned time, so just wait for them, and me! My ZOOM folder is blue!
REMOTE LEARNING is going to be quite an ADVENTURE for us all!!! I like to think of it as the first astronauts that explored into space and to the moon. There were a few mishaps, but many great achievements. Many people push the limits ...so shall we!
See you Monday Morning @ 10:00 am! ZOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
Luv-
Ms. McC
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OLDER POST
June 17, 2020
After meeting with the children today and discussing many different ideas, I have put together an agenda for our END of the YEAR TEAMS PARTY. Please help your child be prepared and ready to meet at THURSDAY 6/18/20 @ 10:00 am!
- We will all show up at 10 and have the option of showing up in “SUMMER GEAR” (sunglasses, sunhats, pool float), or “SPORTS GEAR” ( uniform of their sport team), or “COSTUME” ( Spiderman, Princess, Vampire, etc..).
- Kids can bring a snack and drink to the party. The snack categories are : “Junky Food - Healthy Food - Homemade Treat”. We will call out each category and the kids will tell us which their treats fit best in!
- “SHOW - SHARE - & TELL. Each child who wants to will share or show something to their classmates. Some may share a picture they drew, a photo, a favorite 4th grade memory, a pet or stuffed animal, or even something from their home since we have video capability. Please have your child ready for this activity if they are going to opt. In.
- “SCAVENGER HUNT GAME”. I will call out an item and kids will have ONE minute to hunt it down and bring it back to show us. Example: “ Find an object that starts with the LETTER - J. -GO!” The students may bring back Jelly , Jump Rope, Jack-in the Box etc…
- We will end our PARTY with some music and say good-bye to our friends and classmates!
I hope you can help us make this PARTY a great success!
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Dear Parents and Students,
I have been informed by administration that the last day to post new work will be Friday, June 19. This is just EIGHT more school days! Wow! I will be accepting ANY late work up until Friday, June 26.
I am busy thinking about ways to end this online experience and saying our good-byes! "Our children" are soon to move on to be 5th GRADERS! Oh my! I am looking forward to seeing them walk past me in the hallways to their new rooms where they will RULE the SCHOOL! :)
I will keep you posted as things plan out.
Warmly,
Ms. McCracken
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June 1, 2020
Dear Parents and Students,
Can you believe time has moved to June? It seems so fast, yet so slow!
In the past, June is a very busy month in our class. We have end of the year testing, field trips, Field Day, summer birthday celebrations, yearbooks, and a few half days! Teachers are busy organizing the 4th graders into 5th grade classes and gearing up to complete the 4th quarter report cards.
I have been presenting many of our lesson work with the concepts and skills the students will need for 5th grade. Geometry is the last big unit for 4th grade. This has started today. I will be assigning GEOMETRY lessons in our MOBY learning platform. (Unless your child has already completed/passed these skills in the program.) Please guide and support your child - especially in math and science. Remember, I don't just write assignments on my chalkboard in class and then expect the students to complete it alone. ;) Each child needs varying degrees of support depending on the topic being worked on. I am guiding them in reading and reading skills in TEAMS and then providing some video teachers to explain other subject lessons with very hands on and visually helpful presentations.
I will be posting work until June 26th unless otherwise directed. I look forward to helping all my students until that time - along with your support too!
Happy ALMOST Summer!
:)
Ms. McCracken
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MAY 18, 2020 - UPDATES !!!
Dear Parents and Students,
I would like to commend all the families participating in the online/homeschool lessons and activities that I am assigning each day and in some cases, a lesson for the week. I am doing my best to try to find lessons that are fun and engaging, as well as academically appropriate. The skills and concepts that are being assigned are what your fourth grader needs to accomplish before 5th grade.
I try to keep the approaches varied and easily presented via video teachers, or websites, that I actually use to supplement my classroom teaching. I can only do this successfully if you are supporting at home, which most all are! Please feel free to read, help, and edit their work before they hand it - or send it - into me. I am looking for the students to have completed the work to the best of their abilities and I would hope you would help/ guide them at home, just as I would in the classroom. The only time I do not help, or support, is when there is a test. I always help as we complete new concepts and try out our new learning with exercise problems or skill practice worksheets. Science and Social Studies are always supported and usually done in groups or 2-4 students.
Our VIDEO TEAMS time is VERY POSTITIVE! I am so proud of the children (and parents) for getting to our sessions on time and that the kids settle right in to accomplish our reading and discussion for the day. You will see that new TEAMS and times have been assigned. I am utilizing the "MOBY MAX Writing" arena to send comprehension and discussion questions regarding our reading for TEAMS. This works for the students who complete it. Moby allows for me to put specific instructions for the writing prompts/questions/or assignments easily and the kids can respond and send me their work simply. I can even send it back if it is not up to snuff, or is incomplete, or in need of redirection.
So, at this time, I feel as if I have said all I can regarding how we are moving along and fairing in our remote learning. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to email me @ : jmccracken@highland-k12.org
Warmly,
Ms. McCracken
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APRIL 22, 2020: INFORMATION for Homeschooling 2020 Ms. McCracken's Class
Dear Parents and Students,
As our country's situation continues to keep us all at home, I wanted to touch base with you all.
Our online learning platform "MOBY MAX" has been a very helpful tool. I have been told by many that the children find it managable and are comfortable working in. I am able to see how long students work in each assigned subject, as well as how they perform on the various lessons. Communication and motivational tools in MOBY seem to encourage the children to perform their best.
However, as time passes, other platforms will be added to our mix to create a more rounded experience. For this reason, I will be grouping the students into small groups that will be meeting via TEAMS. I will schedule the students for a specific day and time. I want to be able to vary the groups so their day and time may not be consistent. The children have been asking to "see and be with" their classmates. :) I feel this is an important part of their social and emotional well being too. So, do know I am working to learn this new - to me - platform and am hoping to get it up and running as soon as possible! You may need to help your child learn how to get to the TEAMS meeting. I will post any INFORMATION regarding the TEAMS schedule on our DAILY ASSIGNMENT section because I know many of you go there each day.
During this "Homeschooling" time, I will be available from 10-12 each day. You can email during these times. If you want a phone call, email me a good time and number to reach you at. I will do my best to get back to you in a timely manner.
My email is: jmccracken@highland-k12.org
Email me if you have any questions or concerns.
Thank you!
Ms. McCracken
Grade 4 Teacher
MARCH 30, 2020
Hello Everyone!
I am happy to be able to communicate with you all. This is unchartered territory for all of us. We should all just do our best to keep safe and keep up our academic skills. I expect that each student completes their daily and weekly checklist of work.(This check list will be coming soon as the fourth grade teachers are putting it together.)
Website learning will be a big part of this journey. Online programs allow for all students to have access to the same material, the ability to answer/respond to questions, and for me to see their work in a paperless mode.
On Friday, March 13th, all students who were present went home with a chapter book, a page of "Reading Response" questions/prompts to use with their chapter book, a "Buckle Down" math test packet, a cursive practice packet. This work is to be completed by March 27 as we were told these beginning days are our snow day give backs and spring break days.
So.....
* I expect that students read one chapter from their book at a time. Then they should respond to one response question of their choice from the response worksheet. They can write their responses on lined paper or type them in a word document.
* I expect the students to complete "what they can" in the Buckle Down test packet, as we did not learn all the concepts covered in the packet. If parents/care givers want to teach them how to answer the questions - feel free! And know this... old math is still good math! :) This packet will not be graded as a test, but checked for effort and completion. Students may also work in Moby Max Math and in Math Fluency icons at this time to further their learning.
* I expect the students to practice their cursive letter formations by tracing and writing all letters in packet.
* I expect my students to be good citizens and help their family when asked or needed. Maybe even take some initiative and help without being asked. How can you make something easier on mom, dad, or person who is watching you? Remember, it's nice to be nice!
Check back in about 10 days for your next academic assignments. In the meantime, if families need to get in touch just email me @ jmccracken@highland-k12.org .
Unitil then, be safe!
Warmly,
Ms. McCracken
