Kansas Day and More...

It looks like we will finally have a full 5 day week of school again! This week is going to be very exciting as we prepare for the Kansas Day celebration on Friday. We will continue to work on our square dance routine, research, and PowerPoints. I know that a lot of people have questions about the PowerPoint. What our plan is going to be is just finish the Powerpoints with the information we have. With snow days, school improvement days, and assemblies it has been very tough to get through these. The main grade for this unit will come from the Kansas test at the end.

On another note, unfortunately this is the time of the year that stress levels rise for students and teachers. With State Assessments in the near future it is very important that everyone is getting plenty of rest and coming to school focused. We have a lot to learn and it is imperative that we use the most of our time. I am confident this class will do fine, but every little bit of time helps!

If ever you have any questions, concerns, or comments don't be afraid to ask!

Mr. Strathman

First Week of 2011

I hope that everyone had plenty of quality family time over break. My wife, Lauren, and I had fun spending time in Manhattan & Bern, KS. However as my lovely, beeping alarm clock went off this morning, I realized it was time to start the learning process again. In 4th Grade we are preparing to take the Reading, Math, and Science State Assessments. We will still be studying many concepts, but I will also have lessons on proper test taking strategies. I am excited for these tests for one reason, to show all of my students how much they have learned.

As for this week here are some key points:

1. We will have a class Spelling Bee to determine our representative in the school wide contest.
2. There will be no pretest in spelling this week, everyone will take the same exam on Friday
3. We will continue to work hard on Kansas research, preparing for our program at the end of the month
4. I also want to encourage the students to read independently for Scholastic Reading Counts points. The goal is 15 points per semester and only 6 students met it last month. If they read 15-20 minutes a night this goal should be no problem!

Finally I want to thank everyone for the lovely holiday gifts. You were all more than generous. It just reassures me of what I already knew, I am truly blessed to be here at Rising Star!

Have A Great Week!

Mr. S