Friday, December 16, 2011

Many thanks for all the parent help for our party today.  The kids had a great time!  Here are a few glimpses into our celebration:

  

Merry Christmas everybody!  See you in 2012 :)

Thursday, December 15, 2011

First, remember to bring some board games for tomorrow's holiday extravaganza.  We are celebrating from 12:30ish to 2:15.  Stop by if you like!

Second, can you crack today's Cryptic Code?:

!nuf saw yadot, oohoW

-Owen

And finally, sometimes you take a picture at just the right time.  Check it out:

The young man in the middle may or may not have had some excess air coming up to be released, and the young lady on the left may or may not have been scared by the sudden eruption:)  Just another day in Mr. V's class; gotta love it.

Have a great night!

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Can I make a confession?  All the times that I have said that I "forgot" to have a student reflect upon their day for the blog, well, I didn't really forget.  I have assigned/had volunteers for the task each and every day.  But when 2:45 comes, they are walking out the door without a care in the world, leaving the blog cold and lonely.  Unfortunately, this then requires myself to fill the blog with utter nonsense, much like today.  So why are the kids forgetting?  I have narrowed it down to two possibilities:

1. They are literally so busy learning that they don't have time for trivial blog entries.  Or...
2. They just don't love the blog as much as I do...(sigh)

It's definitely option #1.  I guess that's the best of both worlds; the kids are learning, and I get to write nonsense on the Internet everyday:)

Lastly, RIP Spottedleaf, our class will miss your wacky cures for all things cat.  See you all tomorrow!

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Our electricity science test is tomorrow!  Study up tonight, folks.  See you bright and early:)

Monday, December 12, 2011

We have a lot going on this week before the break.  Here are a few highlights:

1. We will be having a science test on Wednesday over our electricity kit.  The kids created a study guide today.
2. We will be having our chapter 6 math test on Thursday over pictographs, bar graphs, venn diagrams, line graphs, coordinate graphs, and ordered pairs.
3. The spelling and homework information for the week has been updated.  Check it out!
4. Our classroom party is Friday from 12:30 to 2:15ish.  Stop by if you like!

There was so much learning going on today that there is no student reflection for the blog.  My apologies.  Surprisingly, today did not involve donuts, which seems like an irregularity these days:)

Friday, December 9, 2011

Important Info:

• Your child's spelling test was not sent home today.  Our schedule has been different this week due to Wheat Week, and we weren't able to do the test until the afternoon, which means I wasn't able to get it graded. 
• We will be taking the Unit 2 Assessment on Monday; we weren't able to fit it in today.
• Join us at school on Wednesday, January 11th (not sure what time yet) for a Robotics Team presentation.  They will be showing off all of their hard work and we would love for all to join.

Today's Wisdom Nugget:

Today we did shares first.  Thomas had a dinosaur battle with Ada.  Today was a good part of being in Mr. Van Dyne's class.

-Jordan

Thursday, December 8, 2011

We did our best impressions of Mr. Wizard today and made some flashlights in science.  Check it out:



Hooray for Hailey!  She stepped up to the plate and delivered a reflection for our blog today.  Thanks, Hailey!  So without further ado...

Today's Wild Weblog:

Today we had shares.  Then, we did math.  After that, we went to music.  We did Wheat Week after that.  We went to lunch, to recess, and then we read the book.  We read two chapters and the second chapter was long!  Then, we did science!  After recess, we had donuts!  We got on the computers after that.  That was the end of the day!

-Hailey

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Late start, Wheat Week, lunch, read aloud, math, recess, and P.E.  That's a pretty good day if you found yourself in the 4th grade.  While I was supervising our afternoon recess, one of the kids asked me how my career was going.  At that exact moment, I was 32 years old and playing a riveting game of foursquare, which makes my answer pretty obvious:  Amazingly!  :)

I assigned one of my table groups to write something for the blog today.  I said they can write individual statements or come up with one collective statement.  They apparently came up with neither.  So, hold on to your hats for this one.

Today's Zany Zinger:

"                           ."

-Table Group 1

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

What's the secret to a good pictograph you ask?  Simplicity.  A pictograph should be so easy on the eyes and quick to understand that even the dumbest animal in the world could read it and go, "Oh yeah.  I get that."  (I gave the kids the example of the deer I saw standing next to his unfortunate friend on this side of the road this morning.  Your friend got hit by a car there, dude, perhaps crossing the road yourself isn't the best idea...) 

Besides pictographs, we did some reading rotations and enjoyed the second day of Wheat Week, where the kids examined the differences between sand, silt, and clay.  They are doing a great job and are learning a lot!

On an unrelated note, words evolve and change and are created from other words.  Today, congratulated morphed into a brand new word with a brand new meaning.  Since I forgot to have one of my students reflect on their day, I leave you with the dictionary entry for this brand new word, which was (accidentally) invented by one of my students:

Gratulated -  (adjective)  Good.  I felt gratulated after doing such a wonderful job on my assignment.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Robots?  Check.  That's right, the Freeman Robotics Club made us all proud at the regional competition this last weekend.  They won 5 of the 8 major awards, and we are sending 3 teams to compete in the state competition.  Congrats to the robotically awesome team members in our class, Owen and Ryan!

Wheat?  Yep.  This is Wheat Week at Freeman Elementary, which means our 4th graders are participating in a lesson everyday brought to us by the Spokane Conservation District.  It's hands-on learning at its best.  Below are some pictures from today's lesson.

Light Switches?  Definitely.  Today we created some light switches for our electricity unit.  We are the masters of electricity...  Check it out:

Today's Sensational Speech:

Congrats to the robotics team!  Good luck at state!  Today was super!  We made switches and they lit!  Sorry about all the exclamation points!  Read tonight because it is totally awesome!

-Ryan 

Friday, December 2, 2011

We had a busy day full of music and Friday tests in math, spelling, and reading.  We also celebrated another birthday with more donuts.  I literally saw kids dunking their donuts into juice before taking a bite (brilliant, crazy, or crazy brilliant?) and I also saw kids taking bites that were bigger than their own heads.  This was quite frightening, but since it was only 20 minutes before I sent them home, I kept from hyperventilating.

Today's Successful Saying:

Today was great!  Wohoo!  We 'bout died from donuts!

-Owen

Now that's deep.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

We learned a ton today.  It was also Kaleb's birthday.  He brought in some donuts.  The following was written by one of them:

Today's Miraculous Message:

I was so excited to visit school today!  I heard the kids couldn't wait until we arrived.  I felt so loved and wanted, and was so happy, until I saw what they started doing to my friends and family...  Well, I guess this is goodb....

-Glazed Donut (Born 12/1/11- Died 12/1/11  RIP)

See you tomorrow!

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Today was full of interesting facts.  Did you know that to make snake antivenin, they take a snake's venom, inject it into a horse, and then use the horse's blood?  (Of course, no horses are harmed in the process.)  Do you know why, on some Christmas light strands, pulling out one bulb will make all the other lights go out?  Your child should be able to answer this question after our stirring discussion today.  Time for a dinner table quiz...

Congrats to our Student of the Month winners! 

Today's 'Mazing Message:

Today was an awesome day at Freeman!  And I would have to say my favorite part of today was science plus I had fun at recess, too.

-Trinity

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

The kids worked hard today.  I keep meaning to send home a flyer about the Craft Night that is coming up on Friday, December 2nd, but I keep forgetting.  So... there is a Freeman Craft Night coming up on Friday, December 2nd!  It is from 5:30 to 7:30 in our K-8 Multipurpose room.  (I will try to send the flyers home tomorrow)

Today's Magical Mutter:

Today we played kickball in PE.  We had graham crackers for snack today.  Be sure to bring in snacks because we are all out.  It is very close to Christmas!

-Maddie

Monday, November 28, 2011

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  This week's spelling and homework information has been updated for you.  We were so busy today that I forgot to have a student blog about their day.  To make up for it, I will provide the Wisdom Nugget for today.  So, ahem, here we go...

Today's Wisdom Nugget:

For science today, the students created their own "light bulbs" using batteries, clay, copper wires, and 32-gauge nichrome wire for the filament.  When the connections were made, the nichrome wire heated up a bit, even smelled funny, but, unfortunately, no light was created.  When asked by one of my students why their light bulbs weren't working, I honestly replied, "I have no idea."  To this, the student responded, "Wait, aren't you the teacher?  How do you not know?"  I cried for hours. 

But then I remembered one of my favorite quotes:  "An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know.  It's being able to differentiate between what you know and what you don't."  -Anatole France

So, it turns out I am a genius.  Thanks, Anatole!

-Mr. V

 Have a great night everybody!

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

During this Thanksgiving season, I am reminded how incredibly lucky I am.  I am thankful for my wonderful family and friends.  I am thankful for my health and the health of my loved ones.  I am thankful for the opportunity to be a part of the Freeman family and for the role I get to play in the lives of my students.  Thank you, parents, for all that you do, and for trusting me with your most-prized possessions.  On this Thanksgiving, I hope that all of you are with those you love, that your house is warm, and that your meal is delicious.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Mark this day on a calendar........ for today, Mr. V's class did some arts and crafts.  This doesn't happen very often.  In fact, the picture below is proof that we did indeed use our scissors, colored pencils, and other artsy-type materials!  Let creativity reign...

Today's Ultimate Utterance:

Today we did some shares.  We got to pet and hold two puppies.  After lunch we went outside to play in the snow.  After that we did math.  Then we went outside again to play in the snow.  Then we came in and went to PE, and then we got on the bus.

-Deakon

Monday, November 21, 2011

Due to the shortness of the week, there are no spelling words or homework to worry about.  Have a great evening!

Today's Genius Jabber:

Today we had shares, then we fixed our math test.  After that we wrote our Veterans letters on a nice sheet of paper and colored it.  We had snack and then went over lockdown rules and snow rules.  Mr. V read before lunch and after!  We had lunch, it was yummy!  After lunch we had recess.  There was a lot of snow to play with!  Some people were building snow slides and forts.  After reading we did math.  Then we went to recess and after that we went to library.  Then we went home!

-Hailey

Friday, November 18, 2011

The snow fell and the kids had fun.  Happy Friday, everybody!

Today's Eternal Wisdom:

Hello, so far today has been awesome.  We changed things up for spelling tests.  Instead of doing all the tests at different times, we did all of them at the same time.  I want to complement Thomas. On the 8th grade words, he got a 105% perfect.  Thank you for reading the blog.

-Liam

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Another great day in our world.  We learned a lot and Ryan gave a great ASB report to the class about the meeting today.  Great job, Ryan!

Did you know that the first person to make the first call on the first cell phone was Alexander Graham Bell's grandson?  Pretty cool, right?

Today's Blog Business:

First in the morning I did some music.  Then I did some reading.  It was a good day!

-Thomas

 

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Today we learned a variety of amazing things.  For example:

1. Tesla coils are more than just magical lightning spheres, and the kids loved the one Lexi brought in.
2. If you rub your back on your chair and then walk over and touch the faucet, you will get shocked.  (just one test wasn't enough for the boys; they needed at least ten repetitions to confirm the frying power...)
3. Thomas' coat might actually be a tesla coil.  (You could literally feel all your arm hair standing straight up when you walked by it.)
4. And finally, Jace has discovered that his mouth isn't just a mouth.  It's a handy hotdog hole.  And his head?  That's his handy hot dog hole holder.

With that, it's time for today's Genius Chatter:

What a wonderful day to play four square!  It's a very popular game.  We had rotations and share and that was crazy because Lexi brough in this thing (tesla coil).  It's a circle thing where you put your hand on it and it does a beam of light and if you touch someone you get shocked.

-Marley

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Today we learned about Ben Franklin (did you know he started the first postal service?  Or that he was a newspaper owner?  Or that he invented the odometer and that he came up with daylight savings time?  Or that he helped start a hospital, a school, and a fire department?  This dude got things done!).  We also did some scientific testing into the world of condutors and insulators.  Definitely a good day to be a Freeman Raider!

Today's Words of Wow:

Today was great!  Everyone loves ultimate foursquare; it is fun!  Most boys play football and everyone talks too much and science is awesome.  So that's the whole day.  Awesome!

-Jace 

Monday, November 14, 2011

Wow!  Today was so much fun and so full of learning that I forgot to have a student write something for the blog!  Tomorrow's will be an extra good one:)

Today we worked on our spelling and vocabulary words, we edited our letters to some WWII Veterans, we worked more on elapsed time and using a calendar, and we set up a sweet science experiment that we will do tomorrow.  4th grade is the place to be! (unless you are a 5th grader or something like that)

This week's spelling lists and nightly homework information is updated and ready for you to click.

Have a great night!

Thursday, November 10, 2011

A huge thank you to all of our Veterans out there.  The district-wide assembly this morning was very moving, and it was an honor to have so many Veterans in attendance for us to recognize and celebrate.  Thank you for your service and for defending our freedom.

Friday folders were sent home today.  I had the students fill out their Friday Conversation Sheets this morning, and then I proceeded to forget to put them inside the folders.  Whoops.  Sorry 'bout that.

FYI - the food drive has been extended through next week.  If you haven't had a chance to donate some saltine crackers, it turns out there is still time!

Today's Thoughtful Thought:

Today was our Veteran's Assembly.  Happy Veteran's Day!  We also had our tests and cleaned our desks.

-Kendall 

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

More boxes of saltine crackers made their way into the 4th grade today!  Thank you all so much.  We have been working hard on elapsed time; ask your child to share their knowledge. 

Reminder:  All students need to have an extra pair of shoes at school to wear for PE.  Due to the cold weather, PE will be held in the high school.  The de-icer, dirt, and rocks on the kids' shoes is very bad on the beautiful new gym floor.  Having PE shoes at school for your child will help keep the floor looking great.  Thank you so much for your help on this.

Today's Window into Wow:

Today we wrote a letter to a veteran.  After lunch, we drew awesome pictures of light bulbs.  They turned out awesome.  For P.E. we are playing four square volleyball!  It's going to be awesome!

-Jaxon

Awesome!

Monday, November 7, 2011 (Part 2)

Today we had the pleasure of watching some amazing Chinese acrobats come and perform for us.  The talent and precision of these incredible folks was mesmerizing.  I know the kids loved it.

Thanks to those have donated saltine crackers for the food drive.  I believe the deadline is the end of this week. 

Have a great night!

Today's Learning Lore:

Today we had math.  It was about elapsed time but it is really hard.

-Ada

Monday, November 7, 2011 (Part 1)

Happy Monday!  I totally forgot to post anything on Friday; my apologies.  I have updated this week's spelling and homework information.  Look for another amazing post this afternoon with the eternal wisdom of a current 4th grader, future leader.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Thanks to all of you parents out there that met with me during conferences.  It was great to sit down and talk about the high quality Freeman students. 

Reminders:

1. Flashcards are cool.  We will start using them soon.
2. We need boxes of saltine crackers for the food drive.  Please help us out if you can.

Today's Intellectual Treasure:

Today was the BOMB DOT COM!  We had a blast!  Book Fair to music to cupcakes to lunch!  Congrats to the people who participated in our poster contest!

-Lexi

(I promise I tried to teach your child some academics between cupcakes and lunch.)

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Happy Wednesday!  Today we learned about primary sources, correctly creating plural nouns, and the different ways to say what time it is (5:15, quarter past five, etc.).  Ask your child about the new knowledge living in his/her brain.

Random Reminders:

1. We are collecting boxes of saltine crackers for the food drive.
2. If you can purchase some multiplication flashcards for your child to review at home, that would be amazing!

Today's Genius Gem:

Today we moved desks. I used to sit by Kaleb, Bailey, Marley, Dylan, and Ryan.  Now I sit by Hailey, Thomas, and Jaxon.  Have a nice day!

-Seth

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

The kids filled out some amazing wishlists today when we visited the book fair.  Way too many good titles to choose from.  Try to swing by if you can when you come out for conferences.

Parents, if you are willing and able, it would be hugely helpful if you could purchase some multiplication flashcards for your kids to work with at home.  I would like the students to begin practicing on a nightly basis to hone their skills.  I will send more information about this in the coming days and weeks. 

A few days ago, our nutrition specialist came in and introduced the kids to some delicious eats.  Many students were interested in the recipe for crispy kale.  I have placed the recipe on the blog; you can access it by clicking on the "Crispy Kale Recipe" link below the spelling and homework information on the right side of the page.

Also, remember that we are collecting boxes of saltine crackers for the food drive. 


Today's Intelligence Pearl:

Hello parents and students!  I hope everyone will have great conferences and I hope you're enjoying the half days.  We had a great day for the most part but are still working on the talking.  I hope we will have a fabulous day tomorrow.  Have a nice evening!

-Bailey

Monday, October 31, 2011

Many thanks to the parents who helped make our classroom party possible today!  The kids had a great time.  The spelling and nightly homework information has been updated for your viewing pleasure.  Also, our class has signed up to help the middle school leadership class collect Thanksgiving food items for the local food bank.  Our class has volunteered to bring in boxes of saltine crackers.  Please donate if you can.  Thanks!

Today's Smartness Kernel:

Happy Halloween!  Today was a blast.  I can't believe it's already Halloween.  I hope you enjoy trick-or-treating!

Your Ninja,
Dylan

Friday, October 28, 2011

Another week down!  I am looking forward to visiting with all of you parents next week at conferences.  Enjoy your weekend!

Today's Knowledge Pearl:

Today during share time Thomas told us about a trip he took to Seattle and showed us a dinosaur tooth and also a crystal.  Also, in Mr. V's room we had a healthy Fear Factor of food game [with our nutrition specialist].  There was this Kale stuff that, in my opinion, looked like seaweed.

-Jordan

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

I sent conference times home with the students today.  If your day and/or time will not work for you please call the elementary office as soon as you can to reschedule.  See you at the recorder concert tonight!  It's going to be musically magical...

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Conference times will be sent home tomorrow, so keep a lookout.  Have a great night!

Today's Wisdom Nugget:

Hi everyone!  Today was a great day.  We had a dress rehearsal for music and we had an assembly on bullying, I bet everyone learned something today.  See you guys tomorrow.

-Kate

Monday, October 24, 2011

This week's spelling words, sentences, and nightly homework info has been updated.  You can access them using the links on the right.  Have a great Monday!

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Another great day at Freeman!  Parents, I want to let you know that I will be out of the classroom tomorrow and Monday due to a couple of different conferences I will be attending.  This means that there will be no Friday Folders coming home tomorrow.  I apologize for any inconvenience.  I will post the spelling words, sentences, and nightly homework information on the blog this weekend so they will be available for you next week.  If you need anything or have any questions, I will check my email periodically.  Thanks!  

Wisdom Nugget Time:

I think today was awesome!  We had great rotations and I had fun at music.  Then we went to lunch.  Personally, I think it was delicious.  When we came in from recess, I had a great time doing writing, but the best part was science.  So good job to Mr. Van Dyne's class!

-Kaleb

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

The first music concert for our 4th graders is on the evening of Wednesday, October 26th.  An informational letter was sent home yesterday describing all the details.  If you didn't see it, please ask your child about it.  If you need another, just let me know.  Thanks!

Today's Wisdom Nugget:

I think today was awesome.  I had a lot of fun during social studies and math.  The computers were very slow, but I still had a lot of fun with them.

-Ryan

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Today's Wisdom Nugget:

Dear Blog Watchers,

This day has been a success!  We had a great time in Mr. V's class.  In the class we played a really fun  game called Millionaire.  That was the start of the day, too!  We read more of a great book and did some second grade math.  Then we got extra recess and then had great fun in P.E.  Other classmates who are reading this, don't you agree?  I hope tomorrow is just as good!

-Owen

No, that's not a typo, it was pretty easy math:)  Remember tomorrow is a late start day.  Enjoy your evenings!

Monday, October 17, 2011

Another Monday in the books, and we all survived to tell about it.  High 5!  This week's spelling words, sentences, and nightly homework can be found by clicking the links on the right side of the page.   

Today's Wisdom Nugget:

Good job to all of our 4th grade contest winners!  You all worked very hard if you won or not.  Congrats!  Great work on our light bulb experiment today!  I did not know they would light!  Good job!  And last but not least, remember about the 4th grade flag football.  Don't lose your flag! 

          -Maddie

It's a blog, not a diary...

Thanks for checking out our classroom blog!  I will fill this page with important items, like spelling words and homework information, and I will have the students add their thoughts as well.  Bloggers everywhere beware... Mr. V's class has arrived.