A Great Holiday :)

Hello! I hope you have all enjoyed your holiday break spending time with your family and friends! I know that I have really enjoyed my time off. It is the first year that I have actually stayed right here in town and just literally "Hung OUT!!!"
Last night Wolfson won the Baker County CHRISTMAS Tournament! That was 12 games of basketball in 3 days with 8 teams! I was so proud of Wolfson!!! They have such an awesome basketball team this year!!
With all the fun that has been had, it is time to start thinking about the new year and all the promise that it holds. We will be getting to work Day 1 because we have many days off in January and February.
For 4th graders- you will start really working on your writing. Your FCAT writes test will be February 28th this year- what a sweet birthday gift for your teacher HA!
Then, we have the BIG FCAT test in April. We still have SOOOOOO very much to cover to get you ready for that. So- day 1 we are starting with the motto "Get to work!"
We have a few changes in classroom management, but I think you will see how much more productive you are going to be!
See you in a few (4) short days!!!

Happy Holidays~

Well, we will finish with day 78 of school on 12/16/2011. It doesn't seem possible!

We are working hard in the classroom, and we need to make sure students are working just as hard at home. This year is billed as a "year of remediation" for students. That remediation will only be successful if students are working at home as well. The District has designed Compass Odyssey to assist struggling students at home. Each student has been assigned a learning path, and should be working on this nightly. If there is no computer access available, students should be working in their Math or Reading books. The "catch-up" that we are all looking for will NOT occur if students are only exposed to academics in class.

The holiday break is a great time to reinforce basic math and reading skills. I hope you will take advantage of this wonderful learning opportunity!

Happy Holidays!

14 Days - Make them COUNT!!!

It is hard to believe that the Holiday Season is upon us! There is a lot going on around the school and the community. It is EVER so important that we don't lose focus- Attendance is crucial, as well as, completing homework and READING nightly to an adult.
This week we will take county benchmark exams that will measure our progress from the beginning of the year. These tests are crucial for determining how students are progressing.

12/8 - Students will need to bring in a bag lunch and can drink. We will be traveling to the Cummer Museum for a showing on Florida History. After viewing we will have lunch in Memorial Park.

It's all about FLUENCY and COMPREHENSION in reading! I know that many of you were concerned about grade that came home right before the Thanksgiving break. Students have to spend time in text to understand text. Many students are only working in school, and this is creating a lot of hardships when tests roll around. They should be reading out of their reading book 2 - 4 times a week reviewing the story of the week. In addition, they should be reading texts at their level nightly!!!

In Math, it's all about KNOWING FACTS- addition, subtraction, multiplication and division!! These should be known in a "snap"- Please work with your students on these skills. Flash cards are a great way to practice, as well as, simply calling out problems for them to respond to immediately.

We have a long way to go and a lot of curriculum to cover before the end of the year. Please -- Please help your students succeed by working with them at home daily!!

Enjoy your holiday season!!

Seven Habits of a Good Reader: Strategies for What Good Readers Do

We are working on these strategies in class. I will be going over 1 a day for the next several days. Students should be demonstrating how they do this during their 30 minutes of nightly oral reading.

* Visualizing - Forming mental images or pictures about what they are reading such as characters, settings, or events in a text help students connect new information to previous experiences. Visualizing aids in comprehension.

The Holiday Breaks are Upon Us

and... that means now more than ever students need to be working on Compass Odyssey at home.

https://odyssey.duvalschools.com

Students that master all their multiplication facts by January 19th will be treated to a pizza party!

There will be no school next Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday for the Thanksgiving Holidays.

Have a great week!

NO MORE HALLOWEEN CANDY PLEASE!!!!

Please,

do not allow (or send)

any more candy to school!!!

It creates quite a distraction-

A snack is fine- however

CANDY IS NOT!!!

Need Your Help!

Sleepy Heads

A BIG PROBLEM

in ROOM 45-

Parents- students are reporting that they are not going to bed until well after 10:00pm! This is not giving them enough sleep at night. They are very sleepy in class. Today we have had 4 students attempt to take a nap because they are tired- This IS A HUGE PROBLEM!!! Sleeping kids do not get the instruction that is being taught!!!

Lack of SNACK is also a problem- Hungry kids are not able to maintain focus! They need a SNACK... a bag of chips, an apple or banana, vegetables, crackers, etc. can go a long way!!!

Please make sure your child is prepared for school-

Start of the Second Nine Weeks

Welcome to the start of the Second Nine Weeks! It is hard to believe that the first grading period is over. We have been working hard, and student report cards will reflect that.

Enclosed in student report cards will be your student's SDMT and SDRT scores. Please pay close attention to the grade level they are functioning at. This will play a significant role in the promotion they receive at the end of the year. We will take a second series of these test at the end of the year, and students will need to show AT LEAST one year's growth. This can only happen if you are working with them at home.

Please make sure you are checking homework each night. I have several students who are not completing homework. This is causing them to fall behind when we start our next lesson the next day. Homework is a continuation of classwork, and is usually a springboard for our next lesson.

Make sure your student has a snack each day. We do not eat lunch until 1:15 and many students are hungry by that time. A great snack is pretzels, fruit, chips, sandwich, etc. I do not have a daily snack for your child.

Planners - Please make sure you are signing each night.

Our next field trip will be in December. We will be going to the Cummer Art Museum and having a picnic at Memorial Park.

Have a great week!

The End of the 1st 9 Weeks

Wow! It is hard to believe we are approaching the end of the first grading period. Student's will receive their final report card grades on Tuesday, October 25th. Report cards will come home the first week in November I believe.

We have a lot going on to finish out this 9 weeks-
10/20 - Fun Run- Please send your sponsorships in :-)

10/25 - Reading Celebration - Our entire class will celebrate :-)

10/26 - Walk to Pumpkin Patch at Baymeadows Baptist Church for pumpkin activity on Monday. Students may purchase a small pumpkin for $1-2 dollars.

10/27 - UNF Fieldtrip - Slim Goodbody and picnic at the park. Students will need a bag lunch and a can drink.

10/28 - No School for Students- Teacher Planning Day

As we roll into the second nine weeks it is important that your student is receiving remediation of materials covered in class at home each night. All students at this point should know their multiplication tables. We will start learning profile sheets coming home on Friday's describing your child's current academic progress. We at the school CANNOT do it alone- they have to have assistance outside of school as well. Therefore, I am asking each family to spend at least 60 minutes a day working with your child in Reading and Math- they need this. Their success hugely depends on this. While it might be difficult to carve out the time, you ability to help them is priceless!

Planners - Should be signed nightly. It is a key communication between home and school- planners should never be blank.

Responsible Citizens- Make sure you speak to your students about responsible decisions- Good behavior is necessary for STAR placement.

Progress Reports

Progress Reports will be sent home

Monday, September 26

Report Cards will be sent home

Early November :)

Recorder Time-

Students brought home paperwork for recorders Friday. Students will be learning to play these instruments this year during our Music resource. The cost is $7.00 and this includes music. We will be placing our first order at the end of the week. Please make sure your student purchases their recorder.

Beauclerc Spirit Wear is also for sale. Spirit Wear includes jackets, shirts, and sweat shirts.

We have finally reached our class limit of 18 students. We are rolling along with our Reading and Math groups. For the next two weeks we will have a star resource using 1 hour of technology! I am excited about getting this so early in the year.

Our lunch time is 1:45- please make sure your student has lunch money in their account and has a snack for the classroom each day.

Thanks for supporting your student.

Day 15 -

WOW~ it is hard to believe it is already Day 15. We have had many changes in Room 45 already this year. We have had one student transfer to another STAR program closer to his home, and we have added 4 new students in just the last week! That brings our classroom total to 14- and we will be capped at 18.

We have been taking Benchmark Tests the last few days in Reading and Math. Tomorrow 5th graders will complete a Benchmark Test for Science. This will help us identify areas in which your students are struggling.

Remember that STAR is a 5 day program. Students attendance is critical. One missed day in a STAR class cannot be made up. Because we are involved in remedial learning, the day to day structure is so important. Students need to come to class alert and ready to work with their school supplies. We have many students that are often tired and can't focus- I would suggest an earlier bed time.

Over the next few weeks, we will be meeting to discuss your student's progress to date. This is probably the most challenging task they have had to date. Your encouragement and support at home will make this a good year for them.

Last week a FAIR report was sent home listing activities that you can do at home to help. It is critical that you follow through with learning at home.

Looking forward to a great year!

Week 1 AND Done!!!

A week in pictures!

WOW.. Very hard to believe that it is Saturday!! Where did the week go? We were certainly busy working on our routines and rituals this week. Trying to find out who was in our class, and when are resources were and how we move about the room. All important things to establish within the first week of school.

We also worked in all our core subjects: Reading, Math, Science and Social Studies. We even had a chance to have a rock lab twice!! In Math we are busy reviewing numeration- including place value, estimation, rounding, and working with number lines. We even practiced decoding word problems as those always seem to give us the most problems. In Reading we really worked on selecting good books- and how to stick with them to finish. Social Studies is all about Florida History - and who can't love that!! We have learned about some geography features of the state and some of the benefits of being a coastal state.

This week we will work on creating our 3 rotations for Math and Reading and we will continue to learn in Science and Social Studies. We will also get to go to PE on Monday and Music on Friday!

We will have our first fundraiser of the year- magazine sales! It is very simple- you just fill out the forms and send them back in. Of course you can order a magazine too!

Open House will be the Tuesday after Labor Day. Can't wait to see all of you. Remember, STAR contracts must be signed within the first 10 days of school.

Welcome!

I am so excited to meet you tomorrow!

We have a lot to get through on our first day together. You will receive quite a bit of information regarding our classroom, so make sure you bring your backpack the first day.

I will also need to meet with each family to sign our STAR contracts for the year. These must be completed within the first 10 days of school.

We eat lunch at 1:15, so please send a snack with your students each day. It needs to be a working snack and some good examples are - fruit, chips, crackers, cut-up vegetables, cheese, etc.

Looking forward to a great year!
Mrs. Rowan

Change - Embrace IT!

Welcome Friends to our 2011 / 2012 school year. This is an exciting time as we kick-off the inaugural STAR programs at Beauclerc Elementary. I am very excited to be the STAR teacher for grades 4/5 and I am super excited to be working with the talented Mrs. Brown who will be teaching STAR 2/3.
This is a big change for me, as I have worked with Mrs. Yadon for the last four years in Room 138 teaching 36 5th Graders! But don't worry- we will still be able to work together through 5th grade planning and Patrols.

My room has moved, but my standards and excitement are just as high as ever. I am now located at the East end of the school in Mrs. Donnelly's old room. So if you come by, be sure to stop in and check us out!

I will be posting your supply lists, and things that we will need for our room once I complete my training Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of this week.

I can't wait to meet each of you and look forward to a great year Cooking Up Success in Room 45!

Enjoying your Summer?

Get ready for July 4th!! Anybody making plans? The Rowan's sure are!!! It will be the first time we have been in Jacksonville in about 4 years for the 4th of July! I am so excited to see and hang out with some of my friends!!

I have really been relaxing- taking a nap everyday!! I don't know how I missed this all year! (Probably because I wasn't staying up so late!) But how fun is summer? We have already been to the library and have great books we are all reading. Even Jackson is busy with his picture books and arts and crafts projects!

This week is VBS at church! We are having a great time!!! This is one of my all time favorite weeks in the summer! Our church does such a great job with VBS every year!!!!

Sunday Mrs. Yadon and I leave for DC! I can't wait!! DC is one of my all time favorite places. About 12 years ago I used to work there a few times a month! I just love the city and all the places to go. You can never be bored in DC :-)

Cough, Cough.... Can you believe the smoke? It is crazy!!! Yesterday when I was driving to VBS I was driving through smoke and ash. I remembered seeing pictures of the wildfires in California but I couldn't believe all the ash and smoke- it was crazy!!!

I hope you are enjoying your summer! I miss you guys - and so proud of what you accomplished this year!! It is always bittersweet to see you go, but I know you will rock it out as 6th graders!!

We have visitors!

Buttercup and Banana hatched Monday- Mrs. Wood was kind enough to care for them on Monday- and on Tuesday they were given to us to watch and observe for the week! They are so cute! We have studied how a chicken develops inside the egg - all the way to the hatching :-)

It has been an experience to here them chirping during our day! Friday, they will return to the farm and become laying hens! Exciting stuff to wrap-up our year!!

7 Days and Counting!

Wow- has it ever been busy around here! It is hard to believe that we are at the end of the year. Students are excited and nervous about heading to their respective middle schools- It is a big change for many of them as they think about all the possibilities that await them1

For the next 7 days we are jam packed! We are finishing up our Power Point Presentations for Social Studies and will present them next Monday and Tuesday.

Tuesday is our class party - Make sure you bring in your $5.00 - We are buying pizza, chips, and ice cream!

Wednesday is awards - 9:00 and our 5th grade party is following awards! We can use parents to help out :-)

Thursday - Orlando - Be at school at 6:30-

Friday - 1/2 day - make sure you are picked up at 12:00 !

Enjoy your final week at Beauclerc!

Science Fair

Science Fair Parent Viewing Night
Beauclerc Elementary School
Thursday, May 12, 2011
6:30 - 7:30

All Science Projects K-5 will be on display.

Grades K-2 - Media Center

Grades 3-5 - Multi-Purpose Room

Winning Individual and Partner Projects
Conference Room

We are pleased to report that all of our students have completed and turned in a Science Fair Project -

A big thank you for all the APPRECIATION you showed both of us last week! We have an awesome group of students and parents!!

This time of year can be a little tempting for 5th graders- please remind your student any referral (bus, school, cafeteria) will immediately cancel their end of year trip to Orlando. That is an administration decision and completely out of our control :-)

Make sure your student is present May 17th- we will be touring duPont Middle School. This is a great opportunity for your student to meet their new Principal and school teachers.

Teacher Appreciation Week

Next week is Teacher Appreciation Week. Students are asked to bring in any of the following items next Wednesday or Thursday:
fresh asparagus, fresh broccoli, feta cheese, goat cheese, canned crab meat and dinner rolls

Students also received their State Report Outlines today. We will be working in class and in the computer lab over the next few weeks. Make sure you stay on top of your student's work!

Science Fair Reports are due: Friday, May 6th!!

Have a great weekend! Lots of activities going on!

HOORAY!!

We are now finished with the 2011 / 2012 FCAT!!
Pat yourself on the back!!

We did a great job! Can't wait to see your scores!!!

FCAT Testing Week

HOORAY for US!!

We have just completed our third day of testing!!

We are half-way through!

We will complete Session 2 of Reading tomorrow (Thursday) and then we will have our Science tests Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.

Thank you for having students here every day and ON-TIME!!

We also want to say a BIG THANK YOU for all of our yummy snacks!!

Welcome Back!!

I have really missed my camera! I don't realize how much I have used it until it is completely gone! Hopefully it will be back soon!

We are working on our last nine weeks of school! This first week is half over and it seems like the rest of the year will go by just as quick.

Wanted to take a few moments and discuss a few things:
* If your child has a FACEBOOK account please be sure you monitor who they are talking to and what they are posting. Cyber bullying is a crime and can be prosecuted by the State Attorney. I would hate for any of you to be caught off guard. Please discuss appropriate communication skills on social media. It is all recoverable and unfortunately the evidence is crystal clear.
* Tardies Please make an effort to have your student on-time to school. Late arrivals interrupt the learning of other students in our class, not to mention MISSED instruction.
* Science Fair - You should have received, signed and returned the Science Fair acknowledgment form (green paper). The School Wide Science Fair will be Thursday, May 12th with parent night that evening.
* End of the year Picnic- If you are not going on the end of the year trip, you still must pay for the end of the year picnic $5.00.

Congratulations to our Sunshine Math Winners!! We had 11 with high points!

The 5th Grade dance was moved to: Friday, May 6th!

Remember next week FCAT testing: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
Week of 4/17 FCAT testing: Tuesday and Wednesday

Enjoy your week!

Cultural Arts

Schedule

8:45 - 9:15 Flag Raising (Front Parking Lot)

9:30 - 10:00 Education through Entertainment (Amphitheatre)

10:15 - 10:55 BMX Bike Show (Front Parking Lot)

11:30 - 12:00 Lunch (Class Picnic and DJ - Behind Portables)

12:15 - 12:50 Anna Moo (Multipurpose Room)

1:15 - 1:45 World Famous Frisbee Dogs (Back Field)

All families welcome!!

Sweet Donations Needed!

Please donate cakes, pies, cupcakes, cookies and any other sweet treats for our
Family Fun Night Cake Walk!!!

Please drop your donations off at the front office
anytime before 2:00pm Thursday, March 24th.

Thank you!!!

Let the Madness of March Begin!!

** Make sure you pre-order your hot dog or chicken dinners for our Family Fun Night on March 24th. This is going to be a great night of free entertainment for our families of Beauclerc. We will not be selling any food that night! Sno Cones and Cotton Candy may be purchased for $ .50, and drinks will be sold for $1.00.

** End-of-year field trip forms have come home. All monies are due March 24th. Chaperones are ENCOURAGED.

* The end of the third nine weeks is March 24th. Report Cards will be sent home in April.

* As the end of the year approaches, please be sure to speak with your child about appropriate school behaviors. School is still in session until June 10- and we have a LOT of material yet to learn.

* Please check with your local middle schools for orientation information sessions. You don't want to miss out on this information.

** Thursday- March 24th is Cultural Arts Day- We will have a picnic outside that day.

Stay tuned for more information!

Some Faces of Room 138

Wow! It's been awhile it seems since we have had a picture post! I think I am still somewhere in the middle of 2010.. I can't believe it is already the middle of February! REALLY??

As we hit the 100th day of school a couple of weeks ago it dawned on me that - WOW - 80 days left. And we still have so much to do!! With that, I believe that FCAT is a mere 33 days away and that is a scary thought too! We are working hard in Math, but the State has changed the test - We are now working with the new standards and it is really requiring a lot of effort and work on our students. Ways that you can help at home include reviewing homework, practicing flashcards with multiplication, working through problems on FCAT Explorer, Destination Success and they can visit this website: http://illuminations.nctm.org/

This is a great website from the NCTM's organization that provides free interactive games with the new performance standards.

This week is no different- we will be working hard to get everything in! Remember the 16th is Early Release and next Monday is a holiday for teachers and students.

That's all for now.

Bring your Parent to School Night

Thursday, February 24

5:45 pm Dinner
Flyers came home with students.
This is a pre-order event:
Pizza $2.00, Salad $3.00 Drinks $1.00

6:45 pm Free Family Fun Event

Mrs. Yadon and I will be hosting some "cool" math problems in our room. This is a night for you to come out and see what your child is expected to do! Things have changed and your students are required to use so much more analytical thinking!

We hope to see you there!

* Field Trip Forms for the end-of-the-year trip will come home February 28-
Money is due: March 24th

We are going to Universal Studios / Islands of Adventure. The cost of the trip is $55.00-
This includes a breakdown of: $37.00 for the ticket, $13.00 for the bus, and $5.00 for our end of the year picnic!

We will be gone longer this year. We will leave Beauclerc at 7:00am and return at 9:00pm.
Chaperones are ENCOURAGED!!!

Sell Some Dough - Eat Some Dough!!

Patrol Cookie Order Forms came home yesterday. Our classroom is having a CONTEST - If you sell 5 orders of Dough you get to have a pizza lunch with us!

These make great after school snacks!

Sell that DOUGH!!

A "Whole" Day Celebration

Thursday, February 3 will be our 100th day of school. To celebrate this BIG day, we will have a whole day celebration.
We are asking each student to bring in 100 items of an edible snack- examples include - carrots, nuts, celery, raisins, chips, cookies, etc...

Thank You!

Did YOU Know?????

Reports cards are coming home today, for many, this is where the rubber hits the road!

We want to remind you of a few classroom policies:

* All Selection Tests are Open Book- Students should reread their Reading stories over the weekend to be prepared for the test on Monday. An Open Book Test is NOT your friend if you have no familiarity with the material.

* Students MUST study vocabulary and word study word lists. These tests are NOT a spelling text. They must be able to use and / or understand the word in context.

* Multiplication facts are just that- FACTS... that students must know! All of our Math going forward pulls from that assumed knowledge!

* Test Corrections are NOT optional. This is a great tool to help students identify mistakes they made in their thinking! It also raises their grade!

* Talk to your student about their day. Ask them to explain what they are doing in Math, Reading, Science, and Social Studies. It is crucial for them to understand that you are there to help and support them as needed.

* If you would like to schedule a conference to discuss your child's progress we are available most mornings from 8:00 - 8:30

* FCAT - 42 days and counting!


**A Big Shout OUT to Mark S! Glad to hear from you!!! We are glad you are ROCKING OUT in Middle School!!

Fun Run and Reading Celebration

Tomorrow we will get to take part in two very exciting events. First- from 9:00-9:45 we will participate in the Beauclerc Fun Run. Make sure you bring in your donations so you can enter into the drawing for the I-Pad. For each $10.00 donation, you are able to submit a raffle ticket for your chance to win.

Then at 10:00 we will all travel to the Multipurpose room for our Reading Celebration Reptile Show. In Room 138 we had 100% of our students MEET the reading goal! Way to go CHAMPS!!

Mrs. Kornblum visited our room this morning and she stayed for our Math lesson on Nets! That is a new word for us, but boy did we ever WOW her!! She was so impressed with our ability to find surface area on nets- and then we took it a step further and actually drew some nets based on 3-D figures! Impressive is what she said!!!

Can you believe February is here? Next Wednesday is also an Early Release Day - so mark your calendars. It is unusual that we have 2 in a row.

We will have a small Valentines luncheon on the 14th. At that time we will have a Valentines exchange and share our yummy treats! Watch for a note about what we need to come home early next week.

February 21 is a holiday - No School :-)

Thank you for supporting us this year- we are working hard!

Enjoy your day off!

It is hard to believe that the 3rd nine weeks is upon us! This year just seems to be flying by.

Next Thursday is our Fun Run sponsored by PTA. Please consider making a cash donation so our school can continue to hold great activities for our students. The kids love the activities during the Fun Run, and this year, for every $10.00 donation, you get a chance to win an I-Pad.

Thursday is also are Reading Celebration! Good job Room 138 for meeting that goal at 100%.

Reports cards will not come home until February 1st. Your child is aware of his/her report card grades!

Have a Super Fun Weekend!

It's Friday - REALLY?????

When we tell you this week has gone too fast, we are not kidding! Did we even have a break? It seems so far removed!

We are busy in Room 138. We have successfully transitioned from the holidays to full force WORK mode!

There are a couple of things you can do at home to assist your student with classroom success-
* Students should be working in FCAT Explorer for Math and Science.
* Students may access Destination Success from home. We have placed reading strands for student practice.

Remember we have 2 holidays coming up... So try to be present these next few weeks on regular school days!

Enjoy your weekend.

Magnet Mania

Magnet Mania has been changed. IT WILL NOT BE THIS SATURDAY as originally scheduled.

The NEW date for Magnet Mania will be: January 22, 2011.

Please check the county website at www.duvalschools.org for more information!

2011 - Full SWING!

It was good to be back! Tomorrow marks the 80th day of school! Hard to believe that only 100 remain after that. Where does the time go?
Today was BUSY! We will probably spend the next 100 days just this busy. There is still so much to do, and the middle school teachers start "checking" in on us. In fact, all of our students are invited to duPont Thursday night from 6-8 to tour the school and see how the Dragons survive middle school!
In Science we are learning about energy. Today, we worked with closed circuits. It was amazing to see what the kids tried to include in their circuits!

It was GREAT to see all these happy faces! We only had a few that fell asleep today :-) Make sure you are getting plenty of rest!

Girl Power... Rock it OUT!!

Woops... Sorry Alex B- didn't mean to cut your head off there!

Nathalie focusing on not shocking herself!

Becky had to "readjust" the glasses on that one!

We were just able to squeeze in a story before Art and Music! HOTDOG... our test will be this Friday instead of Monday. It will be that way for the next 2 weeks because of the holiday and planning day, and then we will be back to Monday reading tests.

Say hi to Ricky- the newest member of Room 138- Ricky is with me for a second or third time (I can't remember). He was in my Sunday School Class at church, and it looks like he will again be in my Sunday School Class next year since I got a promotion to sixth grade :-)

It was a busy day folks... I don't know about you but at the end of the day I was tired! There seemed to be a little bit more of homework tonight, but we should be back on track tomorrow!

Have a great night!