It was good to see folks who joined us for our last Google Meet this morning. We made a list together of fourth grade memories. These are things we thought our “future selves” would like to remember:

• Us all having fun together
• Reading buddies with first grade, getting to be the big kids for the first time
• SAFE program and the trailer
• Morse Hill field trip
• Mountain Day hike up Mt. Holyoke, getting to hike in a smaller group, having lunch on the top
• The MCBA Party
• Invention/Passion Project shares

Feel free to comment with more memories that we’ve missed. Have a safe, healthy summer, and stay in touch!

Happy last day of school, Fourth Graders,

Sometimes the weeks have blurred together since school closed, and now here we are, on the last day of school. I’m proud of the work that you’ve done this year at school and at home, and I’ve missed you all during the past 3 months.

Here is today’s schedule. We will have our last Google Meet as a class at 10:00am to reflect on our year together and share things we’re looking forward to this summer.

This afternoon is the Sixth Grade Wave Parade from 1:30-2:00. The route is posted on the LES webpage. You can make signs, bring noisemakers, and stand along the parade route to wave to sixth graders in their vehicles. When you’re out of your car, be sure to wear a mask and follow social distancing guidelines.

I feel lucky to have been your teacher this year, and I can’t wait to see what amazing things you will do as you continue to learn and grow. Please stop by to say hello, whether it’s in person when school reopens, or via email. I will always be glad to hear from you.

Yours truly,

Ms. Paglia Baker

Happy Penultimate Day of School, Fourth Graders,

Do you remember what “penultimate” means? If you don’t, can you infer what it means? (Read to the end of this message and I’ll tell you).

Here is today’s schedule. We’ll have an optional whole-class Meet this afternoon to talk about the protests that have been happening here and around the world recently.

At 5:00 pm., we’ll all have a chance to watch the live Sixth Grade Farewell on Zoom. I hope to see some of your faces there AND at the Wave Parade tomorrow afternoon!

Now here’s the secret: penultimate means “second to last.”

Howdy Fourth Graders,

Wow, it’s our final Wednesday of fourth grade!

Here is today’s schedule. It includes a slideshow of photos I took last week when I was in our classroom. What do they tell you about our time there together?

I will be back in our classroom wrapping things up today. I will bring Charlie the plant home with me for the summer. Wish us both luck–him for survival, and me for learning to take better care of plants!

News and Reminders:

• *Optional* Meet tomorrow afternoon at 2:00pm to talk about current events
• Sixth Grade Farewell tomorrow at 5:00pm (this is a correction from the time posted earlier in the week)
• Final whole-class Meet on Friday morning at 10:00
• Sixth Grade Wave Parade from 1:30-2:00 on Friday

Bonjour, Fourth Graders,

After jumping up with Mr. Stewart yesterday, should I call you “rising fifth graders”? I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready! We still have 4 more days together as a class, and I hope we can find ways to enjoy them.

Here is today’s schedule. It includes the survey Mr. Stewart posted in Google Classroom to tell him more about yourselves.

Today is the last day for invention and passion project presentations. We’ll have small group Meets at 2:00 (Group A) and 2:30 (Group B), just like last week. Here’s the schedule of who has signed up to present. Remember that this is optional, and that sharing your feedback is important.

I look forward to seeing you soon!

Happy last Monday of school, Fourth Graders!

This is the beginning of the end! I have mixed feelings about it and I imagine many of you do too. Here is today’s schedule. An important assignment today is to brainstorm questions that you have about fifth grade and post them in Google Classroom before this afternoon’s Meet.

We will have a Jump-Up Day Meet with Mr. Stewart this afternoon at 2:00. I will interview him for part of the time, asking him questions you’ve brainstormed and shared. He will also be telling you about some summer assignments for new fifth graders. He’s posted them in our Google Classroom already, so you may have seen them.

We have a lot going on in the last week of school! Be sure to read all of the News and Reminders:

• Jump-Up Meet this afternoon at 2:00pm.
• Small group Meets tomorrow (Tuesday) afternoon at 2:00 and 2:30 for invention and passion project presentations. You can still sign up here if you haven’t already. Please come and be high-quality audience members for your classmates!
• Sixth Grade Farewell LIVE online at 4:00pm on Thursday
• Sixth Grade Wave Parade on Friday from 1:30-2:00.

Happy Friday, Fourth Graders!

Yesterday’s presenters and audience members deserve some shout-outs! I was so impressed with the work you shared and the thoughtful comments you made in response. If you didn’t make it and would like to listen or share, we will have a second time for presentations next Tuesday afternoon.

Here is today’s schedule. I will be working at school today to clean and organize our classroom. I’ll be checking our padlet so I can reunite you with as many lost items as possible. I’ll also try to take some video so we can revisit our classroom virtually before the last day of school.

News and Reminders:

• Don’t forget to try some activities from Coach Sadie’s Virtual Field Day!
• Whole-class Jump-Up Meet on Monday afternoon with Mr. Stewart and I. You’ll have a chance to submit questions for him on Google Classroom before the Meet.

Hi there Fourth Graders,

Today’s schedule includes a chance to start reflecting on our fourth grade year in writing. There’s also a video read-aloud of a new short story that I think you’ll enjoy.

We will have our first day of presentations during this afternoon’s Meets. Group A will meet at 2:00, and Group B will meet at 2:30. Here is the schedule. If you share today, be ready to talk, show a video (or have me screen-share it), or read part of a book you wrote for 3-5 minutes. Then we’ll give you some positive feedback!

You may have been talking and thinking about the protests that have been happening around the world after the killing of George Floyd. There is an event this evening on Facebook for kids, families, and teachers called KitLit Live Rally for Black Lives. It’s organized by a number of award-winning authors, including Kwame Alexander, who wrote The Crossover, that we read earlier this Spring. It starts at 7:00pm and you may want to check it out.

Reminder:

• Have you been looking for something at home that might be left in the classroom? Add it to this padlet so I can look for it tomorrow when I go to school.

Ni hao, Fourth Graders!

Welcome to Wednesday! Here is the schedule for today. For this week’s virtual field trip, we’ll head further than we ever could in real life: to the Great Wall of China! As you explore it, you might start thinking about other faraway places that you’d love to visit virtually or in real life someday.

Tomorrow afternoon we will meet in two groups, and some fourth graders will present their inventions or passion projects. If you’re sharing, make sure your presentation is about 3-5 minutes long beforehand. You can still sign up to share in Google Classroom.

Reminders:

• Virtual Field Day all week!
• Small-group Google Meets tomorrow at 2:00 and 2:30
• Whole class Jump-up Meet with Mr. Stewart next Monday afternoon.

Hello Fourth Graders!

If you haven’t seen it already, check out Coach Sadie’s Virtual Field Day! She’s included many activities to try outside at home, each with an equipment list, instructions, and videos to help you. You don’t have to do it all in one day–it can be spread out all week.

Here is the schedule for today. For this afternoon’s office hours, you might want to:

• Learn how to upload images from Pixabay for your teaching books
• Continue the conversation that some of you started in yesterday’s Meet about George Floyd and the protests that have been happening in recent days
• Talk about anything else you have questions about.

News and Reminders:

• Office hours from 1:30-2:30 this afternoon.
• We made a new padlet during yesterday’s Meet where you can let me know about lost items that you may have left in our classroom. I’ll be going into school on Friday, and can keep an eye out for them.
• There’s a sign-up in Google Classroom for days to share your inventions, passion projects, or teaching books.