Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Zoom Security and Grading Rubric


Hello 4C families!

I will post some of this information on google classroom but I wanted to send out this blog to go more in depth to parents.


Zoom Security

We will continue meeting twice a week for the remainder of the quarter. Our Monday meeting is focused community building, and our Thursday meeting is for math tutoring. 
I would like to let you know the security measures I have put in place to prevent unwanted visitors in our meetings. 

First, the Zoom links are not posted anywhere public, like this blog. The links will only be posted in our Google Classroom stream or sent out by email. 

Second, each meeting is password protected. Even if someone was able to hack into the meeting ID, they could not gain access without the password. It's worth noting that if you click on the direct link I send out, you will not need to enter the password. I have also enabled the waiting room so that I have to approve each meeting participant. Going forward, please be sure that your child's participant name is their first and last name. You can rename by opening the participant panel and right-clicking on your name. I will not admit any users with unfamiliar names, or names like i-Pad. Thank you for helping to keep our meetings safe!  I have also disabled screen-share, chat, and recording for our meetings. To protect everyone's privacy, please do not allow your child to record any of the meetings using another device.


Grading Rubric

By now, everyone should have seen the 4-point grading rubric sent out by Mr. Gillingham. We will be using these guidelines to assess student work. 





There seems to be a lot of questions and confusion about the pass/fail grading for this quarter. I'd like to try to clarify this if I can.
Your child will not earn a grade for this quarter, I will simply assign the a "pass" or a "fail" at the end of the quarter. It IS possible for your child to fail the 4th quarter, if they score lower than 50% overall. However, this does not mean that they will fail the grade. No student will be eligible for retention based on their quarter 4 grades. 

It is important that your child complete the work with their best efforts to make sure they are prepared for 5th grade. If your child has not completed much work since spring break, when we return to school in the fall, they will struggle in 5th grade. The work we are giving is to prepare your child, the best we can under these conditions, so that they will excel next year. 

You can see your child's grades in you go into to Classwork - View Your Work. You can filter by Assigned, Returned With Grade, Missing.

Please let me know if you have any questions! 

Thank you!
-Mrs. LaVell



Sunday, April 26, 2020

Moving to Google Classroom


Hello 4C Families,

The fourth grade team has decided to end weekly updates on the blog and will instead communicate important information through Google Classroom. Currently, all 4C students have accessed Google Classroom, so families should be able to keep up with important information there. I may use the blog from time to time so please do not unsubscribe, but it will not be for weekly updates.

Much of the work that has been submitted from weeks 1-4 has been graded and returned. You will be able to see this in google classroom and I sent out a blog post last week on how to view that.

We are still seeing a few students not mark an assignment as done and Mrs. Chilson and I have been commenting on those assignments and asking for students to go in and click "marked as done". In our last class zoom meeting I went over how to do this with students as well. If you are still having trouble with this please reach out. We have no ability to move assignments or to mark them as done for students. It is an important step so it does not continue to come up as missing. 

Also, if you complete the assignment through google forms it is saved in google forms but not marked as done in google classroom. Once it is marked as done we are able to grade and return. If a student completes the assignment in google forms and marks as done there is nothing else to do, no other work needs to be uploaded. The same questions are on both the .pdf or google doc as are on the google form, we just give them to you in both formats so you can choose how to complete.

Please reach out if you have any concerns or questions.

See you on Google Classroom!

-Mrs. LaVell
rlavell@archwayarete.org

-Mrs. Chilson
vchilson@archwayarete.org

Monday, April 20, 2020

Google Classroom Info



Hello 4C Families!

Sorry for the additional blog post but I think this may be helpful.

In the first week of google classroom we saw that many students had forgotten to "mark as done" so Mrs. Chilson and I assigned a grade and returned. That process has seemed to cause confusion and we will not be grading work unless it is marked as done (and submitted in google forms) or unless there is an actual attachment attached.  

This will not apply to an item that is a question (did you complete xtramath) or is an assignment in history or literature that is reading only and not a graded assignment. You will be able to see if an item is an assignment that is graded if it has a 5 part bar below it and a /4 notation. Once the assignment has been graded you will see a score out of 4 (4/4 or 3/4) in that space. An assignment will be marked 0/4 if there is no attachment for spalding or there is no google form submitted and/or attachment for other subjects.

I am going to include some photos below that Mr. Naak prepared that go over how to view student work in google classroom. I hope this helps.  

Students may still submit late work in google classroom and it should let us know that it has been submitted.If you see it on the list after several days, please let me and Mrs. Chilson know and we will look for it. 

Also, please let us know if you are having issues with uploading documents. As you can see from this process, a document really must be uploaded to the proper assignment location for this process to work properly. Just to reiterate, we are unable to move items or mark them as done for your students.

Today in our zoom meeting I will be going over the "mark as done" process for your students. Thank you for your patience and perseverance as we navigate this new process.

Please reach out to me and Mrs. Chilson if you have further questions. 












Sunday, April 19, 2020

Quarter 4 Week 5 April 20 - 24



Hello 4C families!


Another week of remote learning is done and I'm hoping that you are all getting the hang of it and feeling more comfortable with google classroom.

There are a few things that I wanted to mention to you about google classroom.


Google Classroom may not work correctly if you are using a computer that is signed in to multiple google accounts. You may see a google form not load correctly because google is getting "confused" with multiple accounts. It is best to log out of all accounts and only be logged on to your student google classroom account.


Please make sure to look for the "mark as done" button when completing an assignment through google forms. This is an important step. You will find the "mark as done" button when you have clicked on "view assignment"  Above the "mark as done" box there is also a place for you  to click "attach" Please note that you must submit an attachment for all spalding assignments. This is a Great Hearts requirement. We have done our best to reduce the need to upload in other subjects. Other than spalding, all other assignments can be completed online through google forms and there is no need to upload.


As teachers in google classroom we have no ability to move student work or mark something as done if there is nothing attached or nothing submitted in google forms. The only option we have is to select "return to the student" and it will then come up as missing or not done by the student.


I know that uploading documents is time consuming and not an enjoyable task. I appreciate your efforts to submit assignments to the proper location so that they can be graded and given proper feedback and credit. Mrs. Chilson and I will do our best to try and remember if we have been told that an assignment is in an alternate location but we cannot always guarantee that that will be the case and you will run the risk of not getting credit for the assignment.


Thank you again for all of your support. Mrs. Chilson and I truly miss seeing our class everyday. We are trying to comment and give careful attention to all of the work that is being submitted and hope they are feeling that we are appreciating their efforts.



XtraMath:


These students advanced these operations in XtraMath. Great job!

Multiplication:

Zach

Subtration:

Will
Sully

Addition:

Alexa
Sophia

I have seen some discrepancy in the XtraMath reporting. Several students are showing up as not logging on when they are. Please use the XtraMath parent flyer that was sent with your student. If you need a parent flyer please let me know and I will email one to you. If you use a different login or a different account it will not be linked to the Arete account.



Lessons this week:


MathStudents will learn how to read and use a coordinate grid. In addition, they will learn about changes in quantities. Students should complete XtraMath each day at https://xtramath.org/.

History- Students will complete the unit on the U.S. Constitution. Students will then begin their study of America’s early presidents. Students will learn about George Washington this week.  Note: Tuesday’s history lesson is fairly long. Students should count any history reading toward their independent reading time. There is an optional activity on Friday. Students may fill in the missing words to the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution.

Grammar- Students will review prior content this week on sentence diagramming and classification.

Literature- Students will read independently or read along with audio of the assigned chapter of that day (https://librivox.org/the-wonderful-wizard-of-oz-solo-version-2-by-l-frank-baum/). On Wednesday & Friday students will write a detailed summary of the chapter from the previous day (or days) noting important characters and events. Students should write a 5-7 sentence summary.

Science - there is no science this week.

If you have any questions please reach out.

-Mrs. LaVell
rlavell@archwayarete.org

-Mrs. Chilson
vchilson@archwayarete.org




Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Quarter 4, April 14-17, Remote Learning Week 4


Hello 4C Families,


I hope you enjoyed the R& R Weekend! All assignments and lessons for this week have been uploaded to Google Classroom. They are organized by day and there is an overview as there was last week. You are welcome to do them as they are laid out or you may work at your own pace. All assignments from this week are due on Monday, April 20th.


Lessons this week:

Math: Students will learn how to apply dividing with decimals to word problems. They will also spend time reviewing prior content.

Science: Students will continue their study of the circulatory system.

Grammar: Students will be introduced to new grammar content: relative pronouns and adverbs, correlative conjunctions, quotes, and irregular verbs.

Spalding: Students will learn three new words each day and practice ten phonograms.

Literature: Students will read and summarize two chapters this week from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

History: there is no history this week.

Please note: the paper packets from week one and week two are due. Please upload them to Google Classroom if you have not done so. If you are having difficulty please reach out to me or Mrs. Chilson.

We are pleased to say that all of 4C students have signed on to Google Classroom! We are still seeing several that are not completing any work. If you are having difficulty using Google Classroom please reach out. 

-Mrs. LaVell

-Mrs. Chilson

Sunday, April 5, 2020

Quarter 4, April 6 - April 9, Remote Learning Week 3


Hello 4C Families,

You all should have received an email from Mr. Gillingham with your invitation to join google classroom.  We are expecting a learning curve for families and for teachers so content for this week has been paired down to allow for that.We will be using google classroom for the remainder of the year and I am looking forward to this new platform and all we can do with it. It won't be as good as being with you all in person in the classroom but it feels more connected to me than the paper packets we've had for the last two weeks.

I am including some info on google classroom before I discuss lessons for the week.

If you have questions about student login problems, you can go through the Help Desk:  https://theveeya.com/GreatHeartsFamilyHelp/

If you have question is about how to navigate Google Classroom, get assignments, and turn in assignments, you can go to “Google Classroom Family Walkthrough" on the Remote Learning 2.0 Resource Page:  https://www.greatheartsamerica.org/azresources/ 

The Google Classroom Family Walkthrough, which also has videos, is really good.   Here is a direct link to the Google Family Classroom Walkthrough: https://www.greatheartsamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Google-Classroom-Family-Walk-Through-RL-2.0-AFR-4.1.2020.pdf


Please continue to work on XtraMath. If anyone needs login information please reach out and I will forward you the parent flyer. Many of you have been working hard since we have been away from school -- Great Job

The students below have completed the following operations in XtraMath:


Addition:

Bruin
Emily
Brady
Keira
Subtraction:

Zach
Any student that completes all four operations will be acknowledged on Arete's Facebook morning announcements and will get a prize from Mr. Gillingham when we are back at school!



Lessons This Week:

Math: Students will practice word problems and dividing with decimals. Students should also complete XtraMath each day. 

History: Students will read selected chapters about the early nation and the framing of the Constitution and answer questions. 

Science: There is no science this week. 

Writing: Students will answer writing a prompt from the history unit with a one-paragraph essay using proper grammar and spelling. 

Grammar: There is no grammar this week. 

Spalding: Students will copy the words once with syllable breaks, rules, and markings while watching the video. They will then copy the words two more times with syllable breaks only. Then students will also practice phonograms. 

Literature: Students will read chapter 5 this week- half a chapter each day. Students will also write a 5-7 sentence chapter summary, noting important events and characters.  

Free Reading: Students will read a book of their choice, independently for at least 20 minutes. 

We hope to see you all on the class zoom call on Monday! Thank you for persevering this week!

-Mrs. LaVell

-Mrs. Chilson


Upcoming Dates:
There is no school on April 10th or April 13th. This will be an R&R weekend. There will be no zoom meeting on April 13.

Wednesday, April 1, 2020

4C Zoom Meetings


Your student is invited to attend a weekly zoom math tutoring meeting.  This is completely optional and not required.  You student is always welcome to call or email with questions and they do not have to wait for the zoom meeting if they have questions.

Below the math tutoring zoom information is the information on the Monday weekly class zoom meeting. That meeting is also optional.


MATH TUTORING ZOOM - THURSDAYS

Time: Apr 2, 2020 01:30 PM Arizona
        Every week on Thu, until May 14, 2020, 7 occurrence(s)
        Apr 2, 2020 01:30 PM
        Apr 9, 2020 01:30 PM
        Apr 16, 2020 01:30 PM
        Apr 23, 2020 01:30 PM
        Apr 30, 2020 01:30 PM
        May 7, 2020 01:30 PM
        May 14, 2020 01:30 PM
 An email with this invite was sent to you

CLASS MEETING ZOOM - MONDAYS

Rachel LaVell is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: 4C Class Meeting
Time: Apr 6, 2020 01:30 PM Arizona
        Every week on Mon, until May 11, 2020, 5 occurrence(s)
        Apr 6, 2020 01:30 PM 
        Apr 20, 2020 01:30 PM
        Apr 27, 2020 01:30 PM
        May 4, 2020 01:30 PM
        May 11, 2020 01:30 PM
 An email with this invite was sent to you.

-Mrs. LaVell

Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Changes to Math in Packet #2




Hello 4C Families,

After reviewing the math work for the rest of the week, the fourth grade team feels that we allotted more math problems than the time allotment allows for. Please inform the students of these changes.

Tuesday: Complete every other math problem on page 20. If time allows, you may complete more.

Wednesday: Complete one problem from each row on pages 31 & 32. If time allows, you may complete more.

Thursday: Complete one problem from each row on pages 47 & 48. If time allows, you may complete more.

Friday: Complete two problems from each row on page 59. If time allows, you may complete more.

Thank you for communicating this to your child.

Best,
The Fourth Grade Team


Sunday, March 29, 2020

Quarter 4 March 30 - April 3


Hello 4C families!

I hope you are all well. The distance learning from last week will continue this week and the packets will be very similar to the previous packet. You should have received an email with the electronic packet link. Paper packet pick up will be the same as last week and will begin tomorrow morning at 8:00am. I will be there from 8:00 to 9:00 if anyone plans to stop by I'd love to waive hello!

I will be posting the packet key later this week. If you have any questions please feel free to email or call. In Math this week we are adding a new concept, dividing decimals, and in science we are introducing the circulatory system. All other packet content is a continuation and should be familiar to your student.

Great Hearts has decided that zoom meeting are acceptable!  These meetings will not contain curriculum content and are not mandatory. Our first zoom meeting for 4C will be tomorrow at 1:30pm.  I am emailing a zoom invite and I will also include the info below. This meeting is optional and is for community connection. For this first meeting we will figure out how to zoom, say hello and share something that we have done to stay busy/active since we have been away from school.  I am looking forward to seeing you all! Parents, feel free to attend the zoom meeting with your child. I apologize to those families that have students in multiple 4th grade classrooms, please feel free to join either meeting.

Zoom Meeting info is posted on Google Classroom under the days of the zoom meeting.

By logging into Zoom through this invitation, you consent to your child participating in an electronic group forum with the teacher as host and with other students. Other individuals may be in student homes, so please be careful to set up your child in a quiet area and possibly to use headphones and sit with their back to a wall. Hosting teachers may mute participants as needed. No recordings of the session will be available to the public. Please do not record (video, audio, or picture) any part of the session



Parent Guide to Zoom – Guidance for Families

Participating in online video conferences can be an integral part of staying connected through this time of remote education. However, using this new platform requires developing new habits. Setting guidelines will ensure that everyone acts with integrity before, during, and after these sessions.

For Students: Using the Platform Responsibly

1. Limit distractions and protect your privacy and the privacy of your classmates.

If possible:

a. Use earbuds or headphones

b. Work in a quiet space free from distractions

c. Sit in front of a school-appropriate background where personal information (family pictures, for example) will not be visible

d. Sit with your back to a wall to limit the chance of other household members being in view of your screen

e. DO NOT record any part of the Zoom meeting with any device (video, audio, or picture)

f. DO NOT take screenshots of any part of the Zoom meeting

2. Follow all usage and etiquette directions given by your teacher

a. Keep your microphone muted until directed

b. Follow teacher directives on enabling video

c. Use the chat feature appropriately

d. Close all other browser tabs and windows

3. Conduct yourself as if you were in the classroom

a. Sign in on time

b. Be a courteous listener

c. Use appropriate language

d. Stay on-topic

For Parents: Providing Guidance to Students

We take seriously the safety of our students and the protection of their privacy. Students should not have to worry about people other than their classmates watching them during class discussions, nor should they have to worry that their class interactions can be used against them. With this end in mind, we have taken precautions to limit opportunities for students to be unsupervised while using the Zoom platform or use it as a tool to harm others. For privacy reasons, students should not record any part of Zoom meetings on any device. If your student misses the meeting, please reach out to the teacher. We ask for your partnership in this endeavor. Wherever possible, please support your student in taking the measures outlined above.

Even with the protocols we have in place, it is still possible for students to create their own personal Zoom accounts with a personal email address. It is a violation of Zoom’s Terms of

Service for minors to have their own Zoom accounts; please help us maintain a safe online learning environment during this time by monitoring your students’ online activity and following the tips below:

· Avoid logging yourself in as a participant; space is reserved for students.

· If your child participates with a small group working on closely aligned goals, please keep the sessions private by limiting family members in the room.

· Do not disclose any personal information during the session. Should you need to discuss progress, or any area of concern, please reach out via email and we will call you back at a time when synchronous lessons are not in session.

· You may hear us refer to your child by their first initial of their first name in order to provide a further level of privacy during the session.

· DO NOT record any part of the Zoom session with any device (video, audio, or picture).

· DO NOT take screenshots of any part of the Zoom session.

I look forward to seeing you tomorrow!

-Mrs. LaVell
rlavell@archwayarete.org

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Answer Key for Learning Packet #1




Hello 4C Families!

I hope you are all working through your packets and enjoying your time together.

The fourth grade team thought it would be helpful to post an answer key for the first packet.  We aren’t sure that we will provide keys going forward, but given the newness of learning at home, we thought it would be helpful for families as a resource. We ask that you do not give this answer key to your child, but that you use it as a support in helping your child complete their work. If you wish to use it to check your child’s work, you may, but that is not expected. You can find the document here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NiyPhmBmEiRD9mix_vVZwl3o3CuAFOey/view?usp=sharing.


If you have any questions please reach out.

Thank you,

-Mrs. LaVell
rlavell@archwayarete.org

Distance Learning Packet Clarification



Hello all,

I noticed a confusing question on the math for today.

The problems that have a grid are long division problems and the grid is there to help keep things lined up.


I'm sorry if this was confusing and if you have any questions or problems please reach out. I also will also be posting the keys to the blog soon.

I did want to let you know that as of right now Great Hearts has asked us not to plan any Zoom activities so my wish to read literature is not possible at this time.


Sunday, March 22, 2020

Quarter 4 March 23-27



Hello 4C Families!

I hope you are all well and enjoying your time together.  Our daughter is home from college in Minnesota and will be completing the rest of the term from home on-line  and our son will be starting his 7th grade packet that the Prep has prepared their students. We are happy to all be home together. We have been taking walks, watching movies, playing cards and board games and doing a lot of baking (and eating!). Our bunnies, Eddie and Ollie are happily flopped in the back yard as I write this and I am including their picture below.




You will have received the e-mail from Mr. Gillingham with the distance learning packet info.  If you need a paper copy of the packet that can be picked up at Archway Arete tomorrow.  Information about pickup was also sent out in a previous email that contains instructions and times.  If you do not have that information please reach out to me and I will make sure you get the information.  Mrs. Chilson and I will be there at 8:00 am to help with packet distribution and look forward to saying hello.

The rest of this blog will be about the lessons in the packet.  The days listed and the pace is a suggestion.  You may have your child work through the packet as you wish.  If you have any questions please let me know.

Typically literature is a lesson that is read to the students. They do not read the book independently.  I would love to continue reading this book to the class. If you would be interested in having your child log log on to a zoom meeting where I would read the chapter I would love to do so.  Please let me know if this would be of interest.  Zoom can be downloaded on a phone, tablet or a computer.

The electronic packet and the paper packet are identical.  If you are using the electronic packet you do not need to print the reading materials unless you would like to.

Lessons for March 23 - 27

Math: This week, students will spend time reviewing concepts they have already learned this year. The first worksheet for each day is a math facts review worksheet. The next page is four word problems. We recommend that students use bar models to help them solve these. The third page is the more difficult of the three pages. This is a collection of different kinds of problems the students have worked on this year. Students will have math work every day of the week


History: In history, students will be covering the first two chapters of the unit on the United States Constitution. The first chapter, “The Idea of Self Rule,” is followed by a page of fill in the blank and short answer questions. The second chapter, “New Constitutions for the States,” follows the same pattern. This week, students will only have history on Monday and Thursday. 

Writing: For writing, students will take the information that they learned in history by reading the pages and answering the questions to formulate a response to two writing prompts. Monday’s writing prompt is “Jefferson’s third important idea about government was ‘If the people do not give their consent that the government can have this or that power, then the government does not have it.’ What does this mean? Do you agree or disagree? What powers should the government have, and how does this relate to the idea of ‘Limited Government’? Please answer in at least 5-7 sentences.” Thursday’s writing prompt is “What does the word ‘democracy’ mean? Did the individual states create a true democracy as a model for their state constitutions? Why or why not? Please answer in at least 5-7 sentences with examples from the text.” Students should take the information from the readings and develop their own answers to these questions. This week, students will only have writing on Monday and Thursday.

Spalding: In Spalding this week, students will learn two new words a day Monday through Thursday. They will write the word three times with syllable breaks. For example, for the word chorus, they will write “cho rus” three times. They will then write a sentence using that word. The sentence should demonstrate an understanding of the word’s meaning. A poor sentence would be, “The word chorus starts with a c.” A good sentence would be, “The school chorus sang during our spring concert.” After learning the two new words, there are phonograms for that day. It is recommended that a parent help with these. On Friday, the assignment is to write a new sentence that demonstrates an understanding of the words’ meanings for all of the words.

Literature: Students will read the first two chapters of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz this week. Both chapters are in the packet, but students may use their own copies of the book if you have it. On Monday, students will read and annotate the first chapter, “The Cyclone.” We recommend that the child annotate the chapters as they read because they will be expected to write a summary on the following day. Thus, on Tuesday, the students will write a summary of chapter one. On Wednesday, students will read and annotate chapter two, “The Council with the Munchkins.” On Thursday, students will write a summary of chapter two. On Friday, the students will read a story called, “The Blind Men and the Elephant.” Following their reading of the story, they will answer three review questions in complete sentences.

Reading Comprehension: Each day, the lessons end with a reading comprehension worksheet. These are worksheets that your child has been doing throughout the year. We had been doing this reading sprint in 4 minutes when in class but there is no need to time these sprints at home.

Science: The science lesson for the week will take place on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. The students will be reading articles on content that we have already covered, so these lessons will be both review and extensions of the content they have already been assessed on. Following each article are some multiple-choice questions. The Tuesday lesson also includes some short answer questions, which should be answered in complete sentences and vocabulary review. At the end of each science lesson is a matching exercise on past content to help students retain the lessons they studied earlier this year.

Grammar: The grammar lessons will take place on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. The grammar lessons for this week are paragraph edits that require students to read an error-filled paragraph to find and correct the mistakes.


Additional Resources:
  1. Great Hearts Coronavirus Page: https://www.greatheartsamerica.org/coronavirus/
  2. Khan Academy: khanacademy.org 
  3. Xtra Math: https://xtramath.org/#/home/index
  4. Typing Quest: https://online3.typingmaster.com/login?id=pp8gsu2q7 
  5. LibriVox: https://librivox.org
  6. Madame Gebarra's blog:   http://gebaraaretefrench.blogspot.com/
If any student passes all four operations in Xtra Math please let me know! I can create a "2.0" account that has more multiples in a shorter time frame for them.

I am missing all of you and am thinking about you all.

Mrs. Chilson look forward to speaking with you this week! I will be calling half of the class and Mrs. Chilson will be calling the other half of the class.  Then, if closings run longer, we will alternate back and forth our half of the class so both of us will connect with all families.  Our goal is just to touch base, let you know we are here to help, and possibly to have a conversation with your child if they are interested. We are also always here to help and you may call any time during regular school hours 8-3.  If we are not available, please leave a message and we will call back as soon as possible.  In addition, you can text both of our phone numbers.
--Mrs. LaVell RLavell@ArchwayArete.org --Mrs. Chilson VChilson@archwayarete.org



Friday, February 28, 2020

Quarter 3 Week 9 March 2 - 6

Hello 4C Families!

This is our last week of the quarter and we have all worked very hard,  I hope you will all have a relaxing Spring Break! We have a busy week and I am looking forward to our class celebration on Friday. We will be watching Prince Caspian in class and enjoying some Prince Caspian themed food.  Thank you to all who are working to make that celebration possible!

Lessons This Week:


Spalding: This week, students will study their next 31 words. For nightly Spalding homework,
students should have the words dictated to them by someone at home and should write them
one time each in syllables. Any words that are misspelled should be written again for additional
practice. We will take our 31-word Spalding test on Friday. 


Writing/Grammar: We will do small writing assignments this week and paragraph editing.


Math: This week, students will continue their study of decimals and we will be learning how to
multiply and divide decimals..


History: The Americans have won the revolutionary war and we will be taking our end of unit test
on Tuesday.


Science: We will be doing AIMS review for the remainder of the quarter.


Literature: We will continue reading Carry On, Mr. Bowditch this week. Please send your copy of
this book to school with your student in advance. For nightly homework, students will read a book
of their choosing for 20 minutes every night, unless otherwise specified. Students will keep their
quarterly reading log in their yellow take-home folder.

All reading logs are due on WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4th.


Greek and Latin Roots: On Wednesday, students will be tested on roots 1-75. It is a multiple choice
test. I have offered a practice multiple choice test to help with studying and I have seen many of
them working on it..

Important Dates: *assessment dates are subject to be pushed back if necessary


  • Monday:
    • Poetry Recitations
  • Tuesday:
    • all make-up work due
    • History unit 4 test, chapters 1-20
  • Wednesday:
    • Math Quiz: Week 9 Review
    • Roots Quiz: #1-75
    • Reading logs due
  • Thursday:
    • Math Test: B 7.2 Multiplying Fractions
  • Friday:
    • Spalding Test: 31 words

Class Information:


Xtra Math:
Any student who passes multiplication, addition, subtraction, and division on XtraMath will earn
a special secret prize from Mr. Gillingham! Please encourage your students to work on this at home
whenever you have spare time. Each practice session of XtraMath only takes about 5 minutes to
complete.


--Mrs. LaVell
--Mrs. Chilson


Friday, February 21, 2020

Quarter 3 Week 8 February 24 - 28

Hello 4C Families!

We had a great week and I am so thankful to Mrs. Chilson for her support and for making 4C her new home.  I am also happy to announce that Nathaniel Conforti has arrived!  Both baby and momma are doing well.  Your students were able to see a picture of Mrs. Conforti's adorable baby and we spent some time making a book of advice for her. 

Lessons This Week:

This week on Wednesday  and Thursday  morning we will have Galileo testing. Wednesday will be math and Thursday will be ELA. The only preparation is that your students are well rested and have had a good breakfast.

Spalding: This week, students will study their next 20 words. For nightly Spalding homework, students should have the words dictated to them by someone at home and should write them one time each in syllables. Any words that are misspelled should be written again for additional practice. We will take our 29-word Spalding test on Friday.

Writing/Grammar: Students will continue their writing practice this week. They have done a great job with our writing practice days and I can see that they are improving on their writing stamina. You should be very proud of the work they are doing and the focus that they have for these long assignments.

Math: This week, students will take a cumulative review test on units 1-6 and continue their study of decimals. They will learn about adding and subtracting decimals.

History: Students will continue learning about the American Revolution.

Science: Students will continue their study of geology this week. We will take our Unit 7 test and we will spend the remainder of the quarter doing review for AIMS.

Literature: We will continue reading Carry On, Mr. Bowditch this week. Please send your copy of this book to school with your student in advance. For nightly homework, students will read a book of their choosing for 20 minutes every night, unless otherwise specified. Students will keep their quarterly reading log in their yellow take-home folder. All reading logs are due at the end of the quarter.

Greek and Latin Roots: On Wednesday, students will be learning their next four roots on roots #72-75. The review quiz will be over last week’s roots #69-71. The multiple choice test on 1-75 will be next week

Poetry: Students will learn their next poem for recitation, “Paul Revere’s Ride” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Recitations for this poem will take place on Monday, March 2.

ALL MAKEUP AND LATE WORK IS DUE ON TUESDAY, MARCH  3


Important Dates: *assessment dates are subject to be pushed back if necessary

  • Monday:
    • History Test Chapters 1-14
    • Math Test Cumulative 1-6
  • Tuesday:
    • Science Test Unit 7
  • Wednesday:
    • Math Quiz: Week 8 Review 
    • Roots Quiz: #69-71
  • Friday:
    • Spalding Test: 20 words
All late and make-up work is due on Tuesday, March 3rd


Class Information:

Xtra Math:
Any student who passes multiplication, addition, subtraction, and division on XtraMath will earn a special secret prize from Mr. Gillingham! Please encourage your students to work on this at home whenever you have spare time. Each practice session of XtraMath only takes about 5 minutes to complete.


--Mrs. LaVell
RLavell@ArchwayArete.org

--Mrs. Chilson
VChilson@archwayarete.org

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Quarter Three Week 7 February 17-21





Hello 4C families!


I hope you are enjoyed the long R&R weekend. We had a wonderful Great Hearts Celebration and I am very thankful for the kindness and love that you poured out on Mrs. Conforti  I know she was very touched and thankful to all of you. Mrs. Chilson and I plan to continue with the strong foundation that Mrs Conforti and I have laid and I anticipate a smooth transition. 


History: We will continue our study of the American Revolution. 

Literature: Students will continue reading about the life of Nathaniel Bowditch. For nightly homework. For nightly homework, students will read a book of their choice for 20 minutes every night unless otherwise specified. 
All reading logs are due at the end of the quarter.

Math: This week in math students will study rounding decimals and be tested on Friday.

Poetry: Students should continue to work toward memorizing "Paul Revere's Ride." Recitations will take place on March 2nd. 

Greek and Latin Roots: Students will be assessed on roots 66-68 this week and learn the next three roots. 

Science: We will continue our study of geology. 

Spalding: I am happy to announce that Mrs. Chilson will be taking over our daily Spalding lesson. Mrs. Chilson has been trained to be a coach by Great Heart’s Spalding director, Mrs. Clouse and I am excited that 4C gets to benefit from her expertise.  Students will learn new words this week and be assessed on Friday.


Scheduled tests and quizzes this week:

Wednesday: Greek and Latin Review Check (67-69)Math Quiz
Thursday: Meteorology Quiz
Friday: Math Test - Decimals (Rounding)
Friday: Rock Quiz
Friday: Spalding Test


Please send all e-mails to both me and Mrs. Chilson & please note that Mrs. Conforti will not be reading or responding to e-mail while she is on maternity leave. 


Monday, February 10, 2020

Quarter 3 Week 6: February 10-14

Families of 4C,

Please read through the blog until the end, and thank you for allowing me to use this week's blog as an opportunity to bear my soul and give kuddos to the 4C team we have assembled! This will be the final blog post I will write, as this is the last week I will be working before I begin my maternity leave. Next week, Mrs. LaVell will be taking over the blog to discuss weekly assignments, testing dates, and any pertinent classroom information.

I am so pleased with the partnership Mrs. LaVell and myself have built over the past two years working together. She and I both came into assistant roles at Arete part-way through the 2018 school year in fifth grade classrooms, which allowed us to establish a strong foundation of what we wanted to have as a classroom dynamic when we became partners in 4C. From the beginning of our time as lead and assistant in fourth grade, it was important to us both that we built a strong rapport and open lines of respect and communication with one another, teachers, students, parents, and other faculty members. I am beyond blessed and grateful to have had a loving and competent comrade in my journey as a teacher. Her support to me and to all of our students has remained consistently exceptional, and I know she will continue the routines and high expectations for the students of 4C for the remainder of the school year. I am excited for her to step into this opportunity as lead teacher for your children in my absence, and am fully confident in her ability to finish out the school year strong, bearing the responsibility of state testing, field trips, class parties, and the daily grind that comes with the rich learning we do here at Great Hearts.

I am equally excited with the opportunity of Mrs. Chilson stepping in to fill the assistant role in our classroom, and fully confident that she will do her due diligence to uphold the expectations of our classroom that have been cultivated with care. Mrs. Chilson has known many of the students in our class since they were in kindergarten, and the experience she has both with the school and with these students as individuals has given me peace of mind in leaving for a few weeks to take care of my personal responsibility as a new mother.

To ease the transition of team LaVell-Chilson and to better support the students of 4C, I kindly ask that you continue to CC both of them on all email communications just as you have done with Mrs. LaVell and myself. I find that students are more strongly supported when both teachers, parents, and other faculty members are all in open lines of communication.

Beginning Friday after school, I will have an out-of-office reply to my email address and will not be available for communication on leave from Feb. 15-May 18. RLavell@archwayarete.org and VChilson@archwayarete.org will be your go-to resources for any questions or concerns you may have for the rest of the year.


Great Hearts Day:
A Day for Friendship - Friday, February 14th is Great Hearts Day! We have reserved this special day to focus on the virtue of friendship and celebrate the traits that make a great-hearted student. Teachers are planning interactive and fun activities centered around these topics. Archway Arete strives to cultivate a rich, academic environment rooted in the classical tradition. This many times requires popular culture to be left at the door. On that note, students will not be permitted to bring store-bought valentines, candy, or gifts to school. Thank you for partnering with us.

In the morning, we will have a Great Hearts Day assembly and be doing buddy reading with our first grade buddy class. We will also have a library visit. Students will then have a couple hours of regular instruction time before lunch, and then finish with out Great Hearts Day celebration following their afternoon special.


Lessons This Week:

Spalding: This week, students will study their next 29 words. For nightly Spalding homework, students should have the words dictated to them by someone at home and should write them one time each in syllables. Any words that are misspelled should be written again for additional practice. We will take our 29-word Spalding test on Friday.

Writing/Grammar: Students will continue their writing practice this week. On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, students will be practicing paragraph edits where they are to find errors in writing. On Thursday, they will do an expository writing assignment from start to finish, simulating what it will be like on AzMERIT writing day.

Math: This week, students will continue their study of decimals. They will learn about decimals by each place value, and learn how to round and compare the sizes of decimals.

History: Students will continue learning about the American Revolution.

Science: Students will continue their study of geology this week.

Literature: We will continue reading Carry On, Mr. Bowditch this week. Please send your copy of this book to school with your student in advance. For nightly homework, students will read a book of their choosing for 20 minutes every night, unless otherwise specified. Students will keep their quarterly reading log in their yellow take-home folder. All reading logs are due at the end of the quarter.

Greek and Latin Roots: On Wednesday, students will be learning their next three roots on roots #66-69. The review quiz will be over last week’s roots #63-65.

Poetry: Students will learn their next poem for recitation, “Paul Revere’s Ride” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Recitations for this poem will take place on Monday, March 2.


Important Dates: *assessment dates are subject to be pushed back if necessary


  • Monday:
    • Math Test: Hundredths
  • Wednesday:
    • Math Quiz: Week 6 Review
    • Roots Quiz: #63-65
    • Science Test: Geology Mid-Unit Exam
  • Friday:
    • Spalding Test: 29 words
    • Science Quiz: Life Sciences Review



Class Information:

Xtra Math:
Any student who passes multiplication, addition, subtraction, and division on XtraMath will earn a special secret prize from Mr. Gillingham! Please encourage your students to work on this at home whenever you have spare time. Each practice session of XtraMath only takes about 5 minutes to complete.


--Mrs. Conforti
TMartin@ArchwayArete.org

--Mrs. LaVell
RLavell@ArchwayArete.org

--Mrs. Chilson
VChilson@archwayarete.org