Conference Sign Up

Pre-conferences are August 26th from 8 am - 8 pm. Please sign using the following link. I look forward to seeing you there!

http://www2.mysignup.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi?datafile=caconferences

Welcome Families!

August 2014

Dear fourth grade parents/guardians:

I can hardly believe that it is already time to start getting ready for another year at Cologne Academy!  I look forward to getting to know your child throughout the year and helping them to grow both academically and socially.

A little bit about me…

This year will be my seventh year of teaching fourth grade at Cologne Academy. I was fortunate enough to be hired at Cologne Academy the first year it opened and have been part of the growing process which has been amazing.  I am so proud of what we have accomplished and look forward to continued success in the future. 

I live in Plymouth with my husband Brian, our one year old daughter Ayla, and our dog Cali. When I am not teaching I love to travel, go to the beach, and read, read, read!  I am a big Minnesota sports fan and especially love to watch the Twins and the Wild.  

There is so much to learn in fourth grade!  Here are some of the highlights:

In reading we will be learning about a variety of fiction and nonfiction genres including folktales, action and adventure, mystery, fantasy, science fiction, drama, poetry and an assortment of informational texts.  Students will continue to learn key concepts in word structure, vocabulary, grammar, written responses, and spelling.

In writing we will be working on producing descriptive, narrative, informative, and persuasive writing along with learning how to properly write friendly letters, thank you notes, and poetry. We will also continue to work on writing paragraphs and specifically how to edit and revise student work appropriately.  

In math we will learn and explore fourth grade standards, skills, and concepts within the four strands of number sense and computation, algebra, geometry, and data analysis and graphing.

In history we will learn about reading and understanding maps, the world’s mountain ranges, Europe in the Middle Ages, The Dynasties of China, The American Revolution, The Unites States Constitution, American Reformers, Early Presidents, and African Kingdoms. 

In science we will learn about meteorology, geology, the human body (heart and the lungs), and chemistry. 

Along with the core subject areas listed above, students will have specials each week that include music, physical education, Spanish, art, and media. 

Enjoy the last weeks of summer!  I can’t wait to meet everyone and get the 20014-2015 school year rolling!  

Robyn Roth

rroth@cologneacademy.org

952-466-4020 

myON Summer Reading Challenge

We are thrilled to announce the 2014 myON Summer Reading Challenge!

The magic of myON is that you have access to more than 5,000 enhanced digital books while your child is out of school for the summer. We encourage you to read with your child at home during this summer vacation to prevent the “summer slide” and prepare them for the school year ahead!

Help your child discover the magic of reading this summer by logging in to read on myON. Explore tall tales and fun facts in titles such as “Have a Hot Time, Hades!” or “Distance, Area, and Volume”.

Make your summer magical—Read on myON!

Usernames and passwords will be coming home with students, if you happen to lose this information and want to login to myOn please contact jmcinnis@cologneacademy.org to get your login information. 

Scholastic BOGO Book Fair is here!

On May 29th and 30th the spring Scholastic Book Fair will be open from 12:10-12:45 and 3:45-4:30. It will also be open at the Spring Fling from 11:00-3:00. 

This year there will be a raffle during the book fair!  One raffle ticket per family when you purchase books. The winner will get a basket full of goodies that includes an assortment of books, a bookmark, a reading light, a giant pencil, and a fun pen and eraser. Good luck!

SPIRIT WEEK - LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL

The last week of school is Spirit Week:

Monday, June 2:  Pajama/Crazy Hair Day *

Tuesday, June 3:  60's, 70's, 80's Day

Wednesday, June 4:  Mismatched Clothing Day

Thursday, June 5:  Wear Your Favorite Color Day

* Please note:  If Track & Field is rained out on May 30, then Monday, June 2 is the make up Track and Field Day.   If this happens, students should wear active wear and tennis shoes rather than pajamas. 

May 27-30

This Week's Academics

In MUR...
This week we will be reading our last story of the year, The Nightingale by Hans Christian Andersen. We will have our final seminar on Friday of this week. 

Homework is due Friday, May 30th.  Last week of homework! 

  

In MUM...
This week we will be learning about converting decimals to percents, multiplying fractions, and if there is time, learning about adding and subtracting negative numbers. 
The homework packet is due on Friday, May 30th. Last week of homework! 

In History... 

This week I am with Mrs. Slavik's class finishing up our Africa Unit and starting American Reformers. We will finish up next Tuesday.   

In Writing... 
This week we will continue our poetry unit where students will have the opportunity to write several different kinds of poems to create a poetry book. 

Read Aloud...
We are currently reading Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea. 

Food Shelf Donations and Field Day Reminder

Happenings this week:

Donation to Waconia United Food Shelf = NON-UNIFORM DAY! 
Here’s the scoop: Students can earn another non-uniform day THIS Thursday, May 29^th if they bring in AT LEAST 3 non perishable food items.

NOTE: This Thursday is the last OSA of the year, so the non-uniform day is class t-shirts and choice of bottoms. :)

This will be a 3/4^th grade VS 5-8^th grade competition to see who can donate more items. The winning side will get some extra gym/outside time next week. :) 

Track and field day is drawing near! 

When: Friday, May 30th

Who: K-2nd and 3rd-5th grade students

Where: PE field south of CA

**ALL PHY ED is canceled for the day.

Due to our growing enrollment, we need to have two sessions at different times this year.  The plan is to have the K-2nd graders participate from 9:30-11:00am and the 3rd-5th graders from 1:30-3:00pm.

We will have middle schoolers working the stations as we have done in the past.

This is a non-uniform day.  Students should wear appropriate active wear and tennies. Students are also welcome to bring a labeled water bottle.

Parents are invited to come and watch!

(In the event of rain, the makeup day is Monday, June 2)

$2 Relay for Life Donations

If your child is donating to Relay for Life, these donations are due by Tuesday morning. Tuesday is the day that students can be out of uniform for donating. Please email me if you have any questions.

May 19-23

This Friday we will be headed to the Minnesota Zoo for our end of the school year trip! Please email me with any specific questions about the day. 

This Week's Academics

In MUR...
This week we will continue to read the autobiography Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl. We will also take the last reading interim of the school year. 

Homework is due Friday, May 23th.  

  

In MUM...
This week we will be learning about converting decimals to percents, multiplying fractions, and if there is time, learning about adding and subtracting negative numbers. 
The homework packet is due on Friday, May 23th.  

In History... 

This week I am with Mrs. Slavik's class starting the Kingdoms of Africa unit. We will wrap up this short unit by Thursday and then start another short unit on American reformers.  

In Writing... 
This week we will continue our poetry unit where students will have the opportunity to write several different kinds of poems to create a poetry book. 

Read Aloud...
We are currently reading Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea. 

May 12-16

This Week's Academics

In MUR...
This week we will continue to read the autobiography Boy TAles of Childhood. We will also continue to work on WW vocabulary and grammar throughout the week. 

Homework is due Friday, May 16th.  

  

In MUM...
This week we will be learning about order of operation and volume. 
The homework packet is due on Friday, May 16th.  

In History... 

This week Mrs. Roth's students will finish up the short unit on American Reformers. 

In Writing... 
This week we will starting a poetry unit where students will have the opportunity to write several different kinds of poems to create a poetry book. 

Read Aloud...
We are currently reading Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper. 

Relay for Life Donations

NJHS is teaming with Relay for Life to raise funds to help fight cancer. NJHS is offering a non-uniform day for students who bring in a $2.00+ donation for Relay for Life. The non-uniform day will be Tuesday, May 20^th.  Last year we raised over $360, our goal this year is $600. Please make checks out to Relay for Life.

May 5-9

This Week's Academics

In MUR...
This week we will be starting our fairytale unit where students will compare the elements of several fairytales and then write their own Minnesota fairytale. 

Homework is due Friday, May 9th.  

  

In MUM...
This week we will be finishing our final interim of the year and then extending into some of the basic 5th grade standards for the remainder of the year.  
The homework packet is due on Friday, May 9th.  

In History... 

This week Mrs. Roth's students will continue to learn about African Kingdoms and then we will do a short unit on American Reformers. 

In Writing... 
This week we will continue to focus on editing paragraphs. 

Read Aloud...
We are currently reading Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper. 

Dress for KAH Trip

For our KAH trip students should wear their class shirts and uniform pants!  

Upcoming Field Trips

Fourth grade has two field trips taking place in the next month.

On Friday, May 2nd we will be heading to KAH from 12:00-3:00.

On May 23rd, we will be going the the Minnesota Zoo for our end of year class field trip. We will leave at 8:45 and return at 3:00pm. The cost is $10 per student. If your child is signed up for hot lunch that day, they will receive a box lunch, otherwise students need to bring a bag lunch from home. Please pack bag lunches in a disposable container if possible! Kids should also bring a water bottle as students will not be allowed to buy beverages, food or trinkets from the zoo.

The zoo permission slips have not been handed out yet, as we didn't want to have two slips out at one time and make it confusing. Be looking for those coming home in the next few weeks!

Please email me with any questions! rroth@cologneacademy.org

April 28 - May 2

Kids Against Hunger Field Trip
Friday, May 2nd, we will be visiting Kids Against Hunger for the 5th time. Permission slips are due Monday the 28th. There is a $3 bus fee and we are are also asking for donations for the KAH organization. This can be in any dollar amount. Checks should be made out separately, and KAH donations should be made out to Kids Against Hunger.

This Week's Academics

In MUR...
This week we will be doing a Jr. Great Books story called "Chin Yu Min and the Ginger Cat." We will be focusing on personal connections, contrasting ideas in a text, and asking inferential questions that lead to a great discussion. We will have a seminar on Friday to discuss the story and our view of the text. 

Homework is due Friday, May 2nd.  

  

In MUM...
This week we will be doing a bit of review, and then taking the final interim of the school year while all the information is fresh in the student's heads! After the final interim of the year, we will continue to review skills that have already been taught, but also go forward into the basics of some of the 5th grade standards.  
The homework packet is due on Friday, May 2nd.  

In History... 

Mrs. Slavik's class continues to learn about the US Constitution. We will be testing on Monday, April 28th! 

In Writing... 
This week we will continue to focus on editing paragraphs. 

Read Aloud...
We are currently reading Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper. 

MCA Testing

Fourth grade MCAs start THIS WEEK!

Reading: April 23-25 during MUR class 9:35-11:00

Math (Mrs. Roth's class): April 21-22 during MUM class 11:40-1:00

Math (Mrs. Slavik's class): April 28-29 during MUM class 11:40-1:00

Tips for test day:

Make sure your child gets a good night's sleep and eats a healthy breakfast

Many teachers report that students who don't do well on tests haven't gotten enough sleep, and haven't eaten breakfast on the morning of the test. Doing both of these things will ensure that your child is working at full capacity (Narang, 2008).

Make sure your child is prepared

Some schools may supply the tools your child needs for the test, such as pencils, an eraser, paper, and a calculator. Others may require the students to bring those materials themselves. Check with your child's teacher to see if you need to provide your child with any of these materials. Also, check to see whether you child will be able to make up the test if she is sick on test day (Narang, 2008).

Remain positive

Staying calm will help your child stay calm. If she gets nervous about the test or is likely to experience anxiety during the test, help her practice some relaxation techniques that she can try once she's taking the test (Narang, 2008).

April 14-18

Fourth grade MCAs are right around the corner! 

Reading: April 23-25 during MUR class 9:35-11:00

Math (Mrs. Roth's class): April 21-22 during MUM class 11:40-1:00

Math (Mrs. Slavik's class): April 28-29 during MUM class 11:40-1:00

In MUR...
This week we will continue our historical fiction unit reading A Lion to Guard Us. We are focusing on genre and the elements of fiction text which include character, setting, plot, perspective, mood and theme. As have only a few weeks left before we take the 4th grade MCAs so we will also be spending some of our time practicing test taking skills and strategies that students will be able to transfer to the MCAs. 

Homework is due, Friday, April 18th.  

In MUM...
This week we will again be reviewing skills and concepts that we have learned throughout the year in order to get ready for the MCAs that are right around the corner!  
The homework packet is due on Friday, April 18th.  

In History... 

Mrs. Roth's class will  be switching to science with Mrs. Slavik as they start the electricity unit. Mrs. Slavik's class will be with me for the US Constitution unit. 

In Writing... 
This week we will continue to focus on editing paragraphs. 

Read Aloud...
We are currently reading A Bridge to Terabithia. 

April 7-11

Fourth grade MCAs are right around the corner! 

Reading: April 23-25 during MUR class 9:35-11:00

Math (Mrs. Roth's class): April 21-22 during MUM class 11:40-1:00

Math (Mrs. Slavik's class): April 28-29 during MUM class 11:40-1:00

In MUR...
This week we will be starting our historical fiction unit by reading A Lion to Guard Us. This unit should take us no more than two weeks. As have only a few weeks left before we take the 4th grade MCAs so we will also be spending some of our time practicing test taking skills and strategies that students will be able to transfer to the MCAs. 

Homework is due, Friday, April 11th.  

In MUM...
This week we will will be reviewing skills and concepts that we have learned throughout the year in order to get ready for the MCAs that are right around the corner!  
The homework packet is due on Friday, April 11th.  

In History... 

Mrs. Roth's call will continue to work on the United States Constitution unit through the end of the week. Next week, students will be doing the final science unit of the year which is electricity.  

In Writing... 
This week we will continue to focus on editing paragraphs. 

Read Aloud...
We started A Bridge to Terabithia last week, and will continue to read it this week. 

March 31 - April 4

In MUR...
This week we will wrap up our fantasy unit by finishing A Wrinkle in Time. We will keep focusing on character traits, actions, and motivations along with how setting changes a character. We have also been talking a lot about the big themes in the book. We will also focus on vocabulary and author's perspective.

We will be watching the movie of A Wrinkle in Time in order to do a text/media comparison. We will start watching the movie on Thursday. Permission slips will be sent home Tuesday.

Homework is due Friday, April 4th. 

In MUM...
This week we will continue to work in the strand of data analysis by finding the mean, median, mode, and range of a set of numbers along with working on probability.  
The homework packet is due on Friday, April 4th.  

In History... 

Mrs. Roth's call will continue to work on the United States Constitution unit. 

In Writing... 
This week we will be focusing on editing paragraphs. 

Read Aloud...
We will continue to read our new read aloud book Wonder this week. 

March 24-28

College T-shirts Monday and Friday this week!

In MUR...
This week we will continue to work on our fantasy unit by reading A Wrinkle in Time. We will keep focusing on character traits, actions, and motivations along with how setting changes a character. We have also been talking a lot about the big themes in the book. We will also focus on vocabulary and author's perspective.

We will also be taking the third interim of the school year on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week! 

Homework is due Friday, March 28st. 

In MUM...
This week we will continue to focus on data analysis and graphing. We will be working with several different ways that data can be put into a graph and how to read and create these different graphs.  
The homework packet is due on Friday, March 28th.  

In History... 
This week Mrs. Slavik's class will wrap up The American Revolution Unit on Tuesday. Student's at-home projects are due on Tuesday as well. Our next unit is The United States Constitution.   

 

In Writing... 
This week we will continue working on our Charter School Essays about our favorite day of school. 

Read Aloud...
We will continue to read our new read aloud book Wonder this week. 

Sips and Dips

PAVE is hosting their 2^nd Annual Sips & Dips Gala on Saturday, April 12^th at 6:30 at the Norwood Pavilion.  This is a great social event for parents and friends of Cologne Academy.  Please check your youngest child’s backpack for the envelope that contains 5 raffle tickets and a letter from PAVE.  This event will help with raising money for the school and helping me out with items that are needed in our classroom.  To order tickets you can either return the bottom portion of the letter or you can also check out Sips & Dips Gala at Eventbrite for ordering or making a donation.  PAVE is also looking for donations for the live and silent auction, please contact Kelly Parkhurst at 952-334-4465 or parkhurst.kelly@gmail.com if you have are able to donate.  If you have any questions about the event or would like to help out, please contact Carrie Lein at 952-220-2072 or carrie.lein34@gmail.com. 

March 17-21

In MUR...
This week we will continue to work on our fantasy unit by reading A Wrinkle in Time. We will keep focusing on character traits, actions, and motivations along with how setting changes a character. We have also been talking a lot about the big themes in the book. We will also focus on vocabulary and author's perspective. 

Homework is due Friday, March 21st. 
In MUM...
This week we will focus on data analysis and graphing. We will be working working with several different ways that data can be put into a graph and how to read and create these different graphs.  
The homework packet is due on Friday, March 21th.  

In History... 
This week I will continue to work with Mrs. Slavik's class on the America Revolution. We will read chapters 11-20, review and take the chapters 11-20 quiz. 

Students at-home projects are due March 25th!  

 

In Writing... 
This week we will continue working on editing paragraphs. 

Read Aloud...
We will continue to read our new read aloud book Wonder this week. 

March 3-7

March 3-7

In MUR...
This week we will start our fantasy unit by reading A Wrinkle in Time. We will be focusing on character traits, actions, and motivations along with how setting changes a character. We will also focus on vocabulary and author's perspective. 

In MUM...
This week we will focus on input/output tables, translations, reflections, rotations, and also algebraic equations. 
The homework packet is due on Friday, March 7th.  

In History... 
This week I will continue to work with Mrs. Slavik's class on the American Revolution. We will read chapters 5-10, review and take the chapters 1-10 quiz. 

Students will also be assigned an at-home project on Monday. Please be looking for the directions and due date coming home tomorrow.  

 

In Writing... 
This week we will continue working on editing paragraphs. 

Read Aloud...
We will continue to read our new read aloud book Wonder this week. 

Don't Forget!!

College T-Shirt Day on Friday!!

Study Island Ice Cream Competition

The annual Study Island Ice Cream Competition starts this Saturday, March 1st! See information below for details.

As we gear up for the MCA’s in April we’re offering a challenge to our 3^rd-8^th grade students.

We need your help at home to make sure students are logging onto Study Island

Competition Rules: Students will earn parts of an ice-cream sundae each time they

·         Take a strand test of 20 questions or more

·         Earn at least 85% on those questions

****We have different standards than Study Island, just because a student earns a blue ribbon on Study Island does not necessarily mean they have earned part of their sundae, they need to meet the requirements stated above****

Competition Starts March 1^st and goes to March 31^st.

Ice cream sundae party will be the first week in April.

How students make a sundae

3 standards = BOWL & SPOON (ticket into the Study Island party)

4 standards = 1^st scoop ice cream

5 standards = 2^nd scoop ice cream

6 standards = 3^rd scoop ice cream

7, 8, 9, 10 + standards = a new topping.

  

February 24-28

In MUR...
This week we will finish up working with a few technical texts and also do a Jr. Great Books Story. 
The spelling homework is due this Friday, February 28th. 


In MUM...
This week we will continue to work on geometry, specifically identifying and classifying polygons, quadrilaterals and triangles. We will also learn about symmetry and how to identify if shapes are congruent or similar. 
The homework packet is due on Friday, February 28th.  

In History... 
This week Mrs. Roth's class will wrap up the American Revolution on Tuesday with the chapter 11-20 quiz. At home projects were due Monday the 24th! 

Mrs. Slavik's class will start this unit on Wednesday.  

In Writing... 
This week we will be working on editing paragraphs. 

Read Aloud...
We will continue to read our new read aloud book Wonder this week.