Viewing: June, 2013
June 27, 2013
Welcome new fourth graders!
Are you a third grade graduate who is visiting our website to see what you can expect in fourth grade? Welcome! I’ll post updated information in early August, but here is a brief introduction to me and to our class! (more…)
Posted in Class Updates|By Jon Moss
June 27, 2013
Thank you, Class of 2013!
The end of the year is always bittersweet for me, as I know it is for the children! As proud as I am to see them graduate and move off to TBS, I will be sad to see them go. We’ve spent a tremendous amount of time together in the past 10 months, and they’ve become very much a second family for me.
In 180 days, we have covered a lot! From textual connections to expository writing, and from decimals to long division, our studies in class have been expansive. I enjoy ending the year with our Number the Stars unit, because our study of the Nazis’ bullying-like ways in the novel allows us to discuss situations that the kids have and will encounter with bullies in their own lives. Anti-bullying efforts have always been a major focus in our class, and I sincerely hope that the kids remember our lessons as they move on in life. The two big ideas are:
- Online is not anonymous. What you write online can never be unwritten, it can hurt, and it will be traced back to you.
- “Failure to act out or speak out against evil is, itself, evil.” Although this quote was said about fighting the hatred seen during the Holocaust, it apples equally to bullying. Nobody gets to be a silent witness. If you see bullying, do something about it. If you don’t feel comfortable speaking up to the bully, speak up to the victim to show your support, or speak up to an adult to help stop the bullying. But don’t be silent.
There is no doubt in my mind that these 22 students are ready to be successful in fifth grade. Each has the potential to achieve great things in school and beyond, and I hope that you’ll keep in touch down the road. You all have my email address, and you know where to find me.
Kids, each day we’ve been together has been a pleasure. Every single one. Thank you for being an incredible class. While I truly appreciate your class gift to me and your individual gifts too (thank you, everyone!), your best gift is being a terrific group of learners.
Over the summer, I want you to be sure to read. Whether its a book, a magazine, a website, or something else, read, keep reading, and don’t stop. And don’t stop being who you are. Be Fireworks. Show your fifth grade teachers who you are and how stellar you can be. You’ll be fine.
Keep in touch. Enjoy your summer. Thank you.
Posted in Class Updates|By Jon Moss
June 19, 2013
June 18, 2013
What should Caroline know about her dad?
Caroline is only a week and a half old, but she is already getting to know her family! Tonight, please think of one thing that Caroline should know about her dad. It can be serious or funny, but it MUST be true.
When you post your comment, be sure to include the following:
- EXPLAIN what you think Caroline should know about me?
- SUPPORT your answer with proof.
- EXPLAIN why you think it is important that she know this.
- Use proper grammar, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.
Take a look at this sample answer:
Caroline should know that her dad is really, really mean. I know that he is mean because he likes giving extra homework to the Yankees fans and he giggles when kids give wrong answers in class. I think Caroline should know this about her dad because if she ends up being a Yankees fan, she should be prepared for him to be mean to her.
Ok, hopefully this sample paragraph WASN’T true! But notice that I started by telling what Caroline should know about me (that I’m mean) and that I then supported my idea by giving proof (to show HOW I am mean). Lastly, I explained WHY it was important that Caroline know that I am mean. My grammar, spelling, and mechanics were all accurate.
Posted in Homework Assignments|By Jon Moss
June 18, 2013
Poetry recommendations?
Have any recommendations for good poems for your peers to consider for their poetry project? If so, leave a comment to this post with the name of the poem, the author, where you found it, and why you recommend it. This is optional! (Just a way to help your classmates out!)
Posted in Homework Assignments|By Jon Moss
June 5, 2013
Student News: Waiting for Baby Moss
By 4 and 11:
As we all know, Mr.Moss is leaving us soon. In fact, today is his last
day! We all will miss him. If you are reading this, and you have no
clue what we are talking about then, this is the story. A few months
ago, Mr. Moss has announced that his wife, Mrs.Moss, is having a baby.
They did not check if it is a boy or girl so it can be a surprise. I
bet you also didn’t know that the baby is due on June 7th. Our whole
class guessed if it was going to be a boy or girl,what day, what time,
and what names. This is the number of people that might
get it right. The number is……………………12!!
is accurate as of June 5, 2013, 2:45 PM. As the article Mr.Moss posted
said, Mrs. Nori is going to fill in. I don’t know if we are going to
live without him. Hopefully, we will still have Mrs.Deming. As we
said, we will all miss Mr.Moss. We are proud to have him as a teacher!
🙂
Moss’s Note: Thanks for the very kind words, 4 and 11! 🙂 I miss you all already!
Posted in Class Updates|By Jon Moss
June 3, 2013
Statistics Review
This video will help with tonight’s homework. This evening’s worksheet is more challenging than what this video covers because it asks kids to APPLY their skills in different ways. (In finding the median, for example, kids aren’t working with purely NUMERICAL data values. It’s possible, however. But to find the MEAN, kids will definitely need to get creative to choose a strategy! PARENTS: Don’t be alarmed if your son or daughter is STUMPED with the last question. It’s meant to be an ultra-challenge. The math isn’t so hard, but it’s intended to cause kids to develop some “outside the box” strategies!) Please let me know if these sort of videos are helpful to you!
Posted in Class Updates, Homework Assignments, Learning Resources|By Jon Moss