Don't Forget!

Wanna Run?

Registration is open for Girls on the Run! Our program at A2Steam is open to all 3^rd – 5^th grade girls and will meet afterschool on Wednesdays and Fridays from 3:15pm – 4:45pm March 15th through May 26th. All registered participants will receive a healthy snack at each lesson, along with a program t-shirt and water bottle, a parent guide book, Girls on the Run cinch sack, and entry into the incredible Girls on the Run 5k on Sunday, May 21st (all students, staff and families are welcome to come run/walk with our girls!).

Girls on the Run’s curriculum based program is MUCH more than a running program. Click here to learn more and to register. Space is limited and registration ends February 17th. *Financial assistance is available and volunteers may receive discounted or waived registrations for their daughters. The more volunteer coaches we have them more girls we can reach. Email  info@girlsontherunsemi.org for more information.

Help us Collect Box Tops!

Weekly Update 2.6

Here’s what we've been up to:

Math: We are in the middle of another fractions unit.  This week we focused on adding and subtracting fractions with like denominators.  We also practiced reducing fractions.  Many students have this down.  Next week we will reteach and practice subtracting fractions because several students needed this support.  This would be a great thing to work at home on.  A great problem to practice is 4 1/4 - 2 3/4 =  Ask your student if they can solve this.  If not, this would be a great thing to work on.  We also got a great new program called Reflex math.  Have your student show you their account.     

Read Aloud: We are finally several chapters into Hoot.  We love this book!  There are some great themes and discussions points throughout.  We spent a lot of time on first and third person.    Ask your student about the differences between these.  

Reading: Guided reading is still going strong.  Most groups will be finished with their book this week and will begin a realistic fiction book.   Ask your student what book they are reading this week.  

Writing:  We continued with our realistic fiction writing unit this week.  Ask your student what they will be writing about.  

PBL: We started our new unit on the regions of the United States.  It is called Every Kid in a Park and students will learn about the different regions and plan a trip to a specific national park with a group of five.    Ask your student what they have learned so far.  

Winter came back!  It has been very wet and cold outdoors.  Please keep sending in boots so they have an extra pair of shoes they can wear in our classroom to keep it as dry as possible.  They CAN NOT go to afternoon recess without boots, coat, and gloves.  Thanks in advance!

Regions Project PBL Letter

February 1, 2017

Hello 4th grade STEAM parents,

We are writing to tell you about an exciting project we are about to start.

As you might know, in our school we use the teaching method of Project Based Learning, or PBL, to help students learn better. A project motivates students to gain knowledge, and they remember it longer. Projects give students the chance to apply the skills they learn in school to personally relevant and real-world situations. Your child also learns skills in PBL such as how to think critically, solve problems, work in teams and within a time constraint and make presentations. These skills will help students succeed in the future, both in school and in today’s work world.

Our project is called Every Kid in a Park and it will last about three weeks. Students will learn about the five regions of the United States, physical and human characteristics, use maps and practice math operations with large numbers.  The project’s Driving Question, which focuses our work, is What national park would be the best fit for my family and me for a vacation? What route would we take, what would we see along the way, how much would it cost, how long would it take? Students will be involved in using paper and digital maps, researching regions of the US and National Parks, calculating costs and distances, writing about their upcoming journey and creating a commercial for a National Park. Your child will work in a team, guided by all the 4th grade teachers.

At the end of the project students will make presentations at our Spring Expo. This presentation will take place at A2STEAM and is scheduled for March 30. We hope you will be able to attend.

Students will be assessed individually on their content knowledge, their collaboration skills, and their presentation skills. As parents or guardians, you can discuss the project at home, encouraging your child to think hard and ask questions about the topic.

We are seeking any parents with photos of National Parks or anyone with a AAA membership who could help us get materials.  Please contact Ms. Culver (culverhallt@aaps.k12.mi.us)  if are able to help in these two areas.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about the project!

Sincerely,

Ms. Culver, Ms. Bertelson, Ms. Huntely and Ms. Jones

Almost Time for NAAPID!

1/30/17

Dear Families,

I would like to personally invite you to come visit my classroom and A2 STEAM for National African American Parent Involvement Day (NAAPID) on Monday, February 13th. NAAPID is a day for families to come show support for their child’s education. Unlike any other days you might come visit, we have lots of special activities planned during the day to help give you extra information and more hands on learning opportunities about your child’s education. It means a lot to students and our school as a whole for family members to come visit. You are welcome to come for just a short time or for the whole day. You can visit our classroom, as well as attend any of the special events throughout the day. I have attached the NAAPID schedule.  On top of the events that are listed, there will be an all day parent cyber cafe in the computer lounge for you to come get some guided hands-on experience with the technology resources your child uses every day at STEAM (iPads and apps, computer programs, etc.).

If you are able to come, please let me know if there is anything I can do to help you get the most out of your day with us. Sometimes families are interested to see a lesson in a particular subject area, or to have some time to share about what school was like when they were kids, or to read a story aloud to the class, etc. Our class is excited to have visitors, and we hope you will be able to make it!

With kind regards,

Mrs. Bertelson

A Letter from Ms. Jones

Dear Fourth Grade Families,

My name is Maggie Jones and I will be in your child's classroom learning from and helping Mrs. Bertelson this year.  I am in my fourth year of college at the University of Michigan and in my second year in the School of Education's Elementary Education program. I am working toward a Bachelor of Arts in Education, majoring in Language Arts. I am very excited to be at A2Steam this year and even more excited to be Mrs. Bertelson’s student teacher! I look forward to teaching and learning from the students in the classroom.

One of the strengths of the elementary program at the School of Education is its emphasis on fieldwork. The first part of the year, I was able to be here a day and a half each week, but now, I will be in the classroom all day, all week long. I will be here until April. In the next few months, I will start to do more and more around the classroom. This will all be leading up to my lead teaching, when I will be the main teacher for two weeks. All of the things I teach will be reviewed by Heather Bertelson and my supervisor, and Heather will be in the room observing me.

It’s been a joy to get to know your children and some of you over the past half year, and I look forward to spending even more time working together! If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me through Mrs. Bertelson.

Sincerely,

Maggie Jones