Try Edmodo

Edmodo is a communication tool for teachers and students. Miss Frank is trying it out along with the other teachers of Charlevoix Public Schools. To join her class, you need a code. If you haven't recieved it already, email her and she will send it on to you.

Remember, this is a school thing, so keep it appropriate and try not to get too random :)

T-shirt Designer

Guess whose design was chosen for the Run Into Summer t-shirts. Congratulations! Doesn't everyone look great modeling? Great work everyone on the run!

Get Well Wishes

Last week I had surgery on my knee for torn cartilage. I want to thank the class for all the get well emails and pictures and for doing a good job for Ms. Arnott. I have had no pain, but I have to be on crutches for five weeks instead of the one or so originally thought. Luckily I know I have a great group of students who will help me out! Wednesday I go to the doctor again and will know more then.

Surgery seems to be a thing this month in our classroom. Welcome back to one student who missed last week for a procedure, and good luck to another who had to go in today! I am thinking good thoughts for both of you!

Thanks again for the notes, but how did you get them to print in color! :)

-Miss Frank

Valentines for Bunker Hill

Today students created wonderful Valentine notes and cards for the crew members of the USS Bunker Hill. Catherine from our class has a cousin on board, and our Americorps members are organizing a school-wide mailing to the ship that has recently been deployed to Afghanistan.

New Book Orders

Two new book orders went home today. Please send in completed forms with cash or a check made out to Scholastic Book Clubs. Orders are due Friday, January 13. If you would rather order online, you can go to http://clubs.scholastic.com/. Enter code JFC6L and our class will still earn points. The more we order, the more points we earn for free books to go in our class library!

New Year, New Winter!

Happy New Year to one and all, and welcome winter! Gregor wants to remind everyone to dress appropriately for recess now that the snow is here: boots, snowpants, hat, mittens/gloves, and of course, a coat!

Conferences and Crafts

Parent-Teacher conferences are this week! If you need to know your child's conference date and time, Mrs. Towsley has a copy of the schedule in the office. Let Miss Frank know if you need to change.

Thank you to the moms who are going to organize our Christmas Party on December 21, at 12:05. Students are going to make Christmas crafts out of recycled materials. We are asking to please send in what you can: jars, lids, ribbons, buttons, fabric scraps, wrapping paper, or anything else. Thank you!

MEAP Celebration

Today was the last day of MEAP testing. To reward the students, the entire third and fourth grades will be having a celebration Friday afternoon. We will be walking down to the Charlevoix Public Library and watching a movie on the big screen! Congratulations to all of the students, and thank you for doing your best!

WikiCES

A wiki is a website that allows contribution and editing by its users. To learn about wiki's, our class is going to maintain and add to a webpage about our school: wikiCES. The wiki was started by last year's fourth grade students and will get better and better.

MEAP Starts Tomorrow

The state's MEAP test starts tomorrow, so students, make sure you get to bed early each night and have a good breakfast each morning. Do your best and show how great we are at Charlevoix! Parents, we will be taking the tests October 11-13, 18 and 19.

Thank You!

We would like to thank everyone who has donated to the classroom, especially the Mays family for the games and movies. We have had fun with them at indoor recess. Thanks again to the Russell family for the reading tub. Also, thanks to Caeden's grandfather for all the great puzzles! We have finished one with 300 pieces and will soon be working our way up to the 550 puzzles. Thanks to the Gullings family and the PTO for all the great outside recess equipment! Of course thank you to all the families who sent in tissues, wipes, and baggies. Finally, thank you to everyone who has sent in graham crackers. They really help when someone forgets their snack! We are a lucky group to have so many great people.

Special Specials!

• On Monday we go to see Mrs. Culver in the Media Center. Remember your books!
• Tuesdays is Physical Education with Miss McGraw. Bring your gym shoes!
• Wednesday is Art day, and we get to see Miss McGraw again. Wear something washable!
• Thursday is Music class with Mrs. Bennett. Be ready to rock!
• Friday changes each week and rotates between Media Center, Art, and Music. This week we have Music!

Flywheelers!

Our first field trip will be September 22, 2011, to the Flywheelers in Boyne Falls. We will learn about crafts and trades of the past from volunteers who have special talents. They will demonstrate their fascinating and fun skills for us. The bus from the elementary school will leave promptly at 8:30 a.m. and we will be gone all day. Students should bring a sack lunch with a throw away drink or two. They need to wear comfortable shoes and dress for the weather: hot, cold, or it may even be wet. Parents, if you are interesting in chaperoning, please send a note to Miss Frank.

Grade Level Content Expectations

In an interest to save paper and time, I am posting links to the fourth grade math and language arts parents' guides here. These documents tell you what your child will need to know by the end of fourth grade.

Advice for New Students

Most of the students in Room B-4 have been at Charlevoix Elementary for many years and have had Miss Frank for a computer teacher. Two of our fourth grade students are new this year, though. Former and current CES students, what advice would you give them about our school and Miss Frank? Type your answers in the comments below.

Keep Up With Us on Facebook

Parents, Are you on Facebook? You can find our class there at Miss Frank's Fourth Grade. Click the "Like" button and updates will show on your News Feed. I plan to link new posts to the page, upload class photos, and list events and reminders.

Communication Nights

There will be a school Open House August 31, from 4 to 6 p.m. for students and parents to stop by. On September 12, there will be a Parent Communication Night. The fourth grade time will be announced soon. I look forward to seeing everyone at one or both of those nights! The room is pretty much ready, and I am getting there! You can see more pictures by clicking on the photo in the right hand menu.

School Supplies

When I was a kid I loved going school supply shopping with my family. When I got home I unpacked everything and organized it all on my bed. Maybe that should have been a big sign that I was meant to be a teacher!

All fourth grade students are asked to bring the following supplies to school:

“Toolbox” , (cardboard or plastic) to hold school supplies

2 glue sticks

1 box Kleenex

1 box ZIPLOCK bags

Lysol wipes

1 one subject notebook

1 pair of scissors

I would also like students in my class to please have these things on hand throughout the year:

Markers and/or crayons

Erasers
Extra pencils
Bottle of Glue

Lastly, I am keeping a wish list on the right hand side of the blog for things we need for the classroom. Thank you!

About Miss Frank

For the last 13 years I have been the computer teacher and building technology coordinator for Charlevoix Elementary School. Each week every class would come to me for an hour to learn about computers and to use computers to learn other things. I also helped troubleshoot the building's technology problems, maintained the district web pages, and led professional development to help teachers use technology in their classrooms. I am excited to try many of the techniques in my own classroom this year!

Before coming to CES, I taught third grade for two years at St. Patrick Parnell just outside of Ada, Michigan. I earned my master's degree and elementary teaching certificate from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, where I student taught in a fourth grade classroom. I earned my bachelor's degree in economics from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. I am a graduate of Petoskey High School and my family has lived in the area since 1976.

My biggest interest is skiing and I have been a ski instructor at Nub's Nob since 1987. I just adore my Scottie dog, Gregor, and we try to take a walk every day. I am on the Charlevoix Council for the Arts, and through it, active in helping with the Charlevoix Waterfront Art Fair. I love reading and get some of the best recommendations from my students. For me, the highlight of every week is Sunday dinner with my parents, brothers, aunt, uncle, and cousins.

Although I am sad not to be teaching computers anymore, I am very excited to have my own class again and to be teaching fourth grade!