The First Few Days

Yesterday afternoon, when the kids had gone home, I stepped into Mrs. Antley's room and asked her, "Were these kids this good last year?"  And she said that they were...aside from liking to talk a bit more than they should (I haven't had a class yet that didn't!).

The first few days with your kids have been SO GOOD!!!  They have been polite, cooperative, and willing to try everything I've thrown at them.  So far we have:

• Set up our Writing notebooks and started learning the procedures for studying Mentor Sentences (we study the writing of published authors and use them as our mentors).  
• Set up our Math Notebooks and gone through all of the types of problems that we'll do each week in the Mountain Math Center (this is a great way for them to regularly review the skills that they've learned in 3rd grade, and will learn in 4th).  
• Gone over 3 days of the Daily Language Review that we'll do during our Morning Work time (they'll do 5 problems every Mon-Thur and each morning follows the same pattern).

• Started our class read aloud, The Indian in the Cupboard (I know they're loving it when I finish a chapter and they're begging for "just one more chapter...please?!?").  Today we talked about why authors of books and TV shows leave us hanging just when it gets to the really good part.
• Took a beginning of the year Reading Self-Assessment (this helps me understand their outlook on reading and what they like and don't like about reading.  It also gets them thinking about setting Reading goals, which we'll do next week

• Did a 'Write the Room' activity where the kids answered questions that helped us develop our class rules.  
• Developed our rules:  Be Responsible, Be Respectful, Be Kind, Be Safe, Be Your Best.
• Looked at what kind of smart we are (with a Multiple Intelligences survey).
• Started our Social Studies unit on North Carolina...they're creating 'Me on the Map in NC' booklets.

• Started building our Reading stamina during independent reading time (I call it Read to Self time).

Whew...looking at that list makes me tired!  But it also shows me how much we've been able to accomplish in only three days.  

Your kids have been working hard, but we've thrown some fun in there too.  We played a game of Pebble, Pebble during our morning meeting on Tuesday, and did a brain break today with a Boom Chicka Boom video...ask your child how to do Boom Chicka Boom underwater style!  Tomorrow or Friday we'll be doing a teamwork activity called Save Fred.  It's challenging and fun, and the kids will have a ball!

I'm having so much fun getting to know your children, and I can already tell it's going to be a great year!

Welcome Back!

Welcome to 4^th Grade!  I’m so happy that you’ll be a part of our classroom.  I’m excited about all that we have planned, and am looking forward to working with you and your child. We’ll have many wonderful experiences and opportunities to learn and grow during the upcoming school year.

This will be my third year at Mountain Island Day School, and my seventh year working in education.  I love working with the upper elementary grades!  

My husband, Chuck, and I have four children and a goofy dog named Maya.  My younger sons, Nick and Charlie, go to North Lincoln High School.  Nick is a  freshman and Charlie is a sophomore.  My only daughter, Laura, is heading off to college (sniff!) at Appalachian State University.  My oldest, Andrew, is all grown up and lives in Wisconsin.  We moved from Wisconsin to North Carolina in 2011 J

I believe that communication is the key to a great parent-teacher relationship. Please contact me if you have questions or concerns at any time. The easiest way to reach me is by e-mail at kpoole@midschool.org.  

I use this blog as our newsletter and will post regularly throughout the school year (I’ll email you a link when I do).

I’m looking forward to a year of fun and learning with your child!