MrHowd.com

Spelling: None today.

Cursive: Cursive worksheet pp. 1-3 are available in class and due on Friday. For the first half of the year, the weekly cursive assignment will be three worksheet pages, usually due on Friday.

Reading: Today was library orientation.

Writing: We talked about our first piece of writing, a personal narrative. Students were told that we will work on this piece of writing for the next two weeks. Today, students started planning a list of possible ideas called an Authority List. This is a list of topics each student knows a lot about. Students can continue to work on their Authority List at home by going to Google Drive and signing in with their Grand Blanc email address and password. A personal narrative is due Monday, September 25. Your student should be brainstorming ideas at this point.

Math: We used our math time today to set up our chromebooks and our Google Classroom.

Science: None today.

Social Studies: We talked about the events of September 11 today by looking at a presentation of images:

Notes:

• School Supply list
• Need to update your contact information or send in your email address or phone number? Do that here.
• Parents and family members, find out more information about our class here.
• Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.
• Volunteering information, including forms to be filled out if you would like to volunteer in class or chaperone a field trip
• Sign up for a fall conference
• The behavior policy and math subject pages and recently been updated with new information about this school year.
• Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.
• View links to all the websites we use in class.
• View grades, assignments, and attendance at JupiterGrades.

Our Mission:
All students in Room 130 will do their best and get ready for 5th grade.

We were busy today doing these things:

• We learned about team responsibilities, including a class job and an area of the room to manage. Team captains create a “job schedule” to make sure each person had something to do to help the team.
• We played People Bingo to learn some crazy facts about people in our class!
• Students worked in teams to solve a tower building challenge. Students had work together to stack six cups into a pyramid using only a rubberband with four strings attached to it. The students had to pull the strings to stretch the rubberband in order to move the cups. There was a struggle at first, but everyone improved on the second try!
• We also watched a video called Crash and Learn. We heard from a ski jumper who found out he had to crash in order to learn new tricks. He told us to not be afraid to crash, but to learn from mistakes.
• We viewed mission statements from different businesses to get ideas for our own class mission statement: All students in Room 130 will do their best and get ready for 5th grade!
• Finally, we started thinking about if we need class rules or not. I floated the idea that maybe we didn’t need class rules this year. Some people loved that idea! (Is one of those kids yours?!) But then we thought about what people could do if there were no rules. We made a list. It’s interesting that 4th graders always make a list of selfish and unhelpful actions. No one says they could let everyone go first and give away all their birthday treats. This subject really exposes the heart. We’ll decide on class rules tomorrow, but I think everyone has seen that we need class rules to have a safe and enjoyable class.

Notes:

• Team Day is Friday, September 8 from 2:00-3:30 pm. The class will be completing team-building activities in student groups.
• School Supply list
• Need to update your contact information or send in your email address or phone number? Do that here.
• Parents and family members, find out more information about our class here.
• Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.
• View grades, assignments, and attendance at JupiterGrades.
• More class information…
  • About MrHowd.com
  • Class Info
  • Contact Mr. Howd
  • Policies and Procedures
  • Subjects
  • Subscribe to MrHowd.com for daily class email updates
  • Volunteering information, including forms to be filled out if you would like to volunteer in class or chaperone a field trip
  • Sign up for a fall conference
• The behavior policy and math subject pages and recently been updated with new information about this school year.

We continued working on procedures and get-to-know-you games. Students also received new seats and elected team captains. Beyond that, each team received a class job to make sure our ship is sailing smoothly. We also practiced a few basics (sitting down at the end of a passing time, lining up quietly, walking to lunch).

Notes:

• Team Day is Friday, September 8 from 2:00-3:30 pm. The class will be completing team-building activities in student groups. Can you help? Instructions will be provided!
• School Supply list
• Need to update your contact information or send in your email address or phone number? Do that here.
• Parents and family members, find out more information about our class here.
• Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.
• View grades, assignments, and attendance at JupiterGrades.
• More class information…
  • About MrHowd.com
  • Class Info
  • Contact Mr. Howd
  • Policies and Procedures
  • Subjects
  • Subscribe to MrHowd.com for daily class email updates
  • Volunteering information, including forms to be filled out if you would like to volunteer in class or chaperone a field trip
  • Sign up for a fall conference

Welcome! I’m looking forward to working with you and your student to make this a great year!

At the beginning of the year, most parents have questions about curriculum, procedures, policies, and ways to stay informed. Problem solved: check out this website!

Here you can find everything you need to know about the class, including ways to contact me, check grades, find out about procedures, see class photos, and check out student work.

You will also be contacted periodically by an automated phone message system. I’ll use this for class reminders in case you aren’t able to check the class website, or your student’s backpack ate the class notes!

School Supplies

There is a full list of school supplies at MrHowd.com/supplies. Your student will really only need pencils, pens, dry erase markers, a folder for take home papers, and two poly envelopes. I have the markers and envelopes in class for purchase, or you can get these at any office store.

Who’s in class?

Our class is made up of people with unique talents and experiences. We should have pride in that! So we can be proud and get to know each other, I’m giving students the opportunity to bring in three things that show who they are, to put up on our Friends and Family Pride Board. This board will end up looking like a scrapbook. Students can bring in anything that can be stapled to or hung on a board with pushpins, and that is reasonable in size. Photos, postcards, medals, etc. would be perfect.

Students will also be asked to decorate a writing portfolio with drawings and photos.

So start digging up those photos now!

Team Day

Friday, September 8, from 2:10-3:30 pm, our class will participate in some team-building activities to start the new year. Parents are needed to help run the activities. Instructions will be provided. If you can help, please contact me. Thanks!

Class activities

Today was filled with get-to-know-you activities and procedures. Here are some highlights:

• We played a game to share some news from the summer.
• Students took the Mr. Howd test; many failed! I told students that failure will often result from not preparing, but hard work is usually rewarded!
• We attended technology and gym, and an assembly about the new year.

Notes:

• Team Day is Friday, September 8 from 2:10-3:30 pm. The class will be completing team-building activities in student groups. Can you help? Instructions will be provided!
• School Supply list
• Need to update your contact information or send in your email address or phone number? Do that here.
• Parents and family members, find out more information about our class here.
• Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.
• View grades, assignments, and attendance at JupiterGrades.
• More class information…
  • About MrHowd.com
  • Class Info
  • Contact Mr. Howd
  • Policies and Procedures
  • Subjects
  • Subscribe to MrHowd.com for daily class email updates
  • Volunteering information, including forms to be filled out if you would like to volunteer in class or chaperone a field trip
  • Sign up for a fall conference

Notes:

• Today was Field Day!
• Students turned in their chromebooks today.
• End of the Year Activites:
  • Waterpark field trip, June 12. Students should bring dry clothes, a swimming suit, towel, sunscreen, sack lunch, closed-toed shoes/crocs/water shoes if they want to do the zip line, zip line permission slip.
  • 5th Grade Farewell, June 13
  • Celebration of Life, June 14
  • Grand Blanc offers a summer school step up program for language arts and math. The courses are offered during the morning in June. Find more information and registration forms here.

Our Mission:
All students in Room 130 will do their best and get ready for 6th grade.