Dear Room 22 families,

    We must have been having fun this year because time flew by!  I can’t believe there are only - as I type this - 30 more school days! 

    5th grade is right around the corner for our 4thies, and I’m thinking about my kiddos as 5th graders now, and how to best prepare them for next year - both academically and behaviorally.  Therefore, my expectations are higher and more rigorous.  For example, students know how to write an essay, so fewer rough drafts should be needed for a good final draft.  Students know to show their work on math tests, so that is expected.  Students know how to behave properly in class and at school, so I will be expecting proper behavior.  Typically as the year ends, it is very tempting to let loose and begin dreaming of the freedom of summer.  But there is still much to learn, and the expectations of my students will remain high!

    Speaking of dreaming of the freedom of summer, as most of you know, after over 20 years of teaching, I am retiring!  Yes, your kiddo is the end of the rainbow for me, and fortune has smiled at me to have such a pleasant group of students for my last year!  For the near future, as my students know, I will be enjoying my morning routine of fireplace, kitties & coffee, then maybe lounging by the pool, yoga, visiting family & friends, and I have a myriad of good books queued up & waiting!

    Until then, we have the time-honored, 4th grade Gold Rush Era to explore, a new essay genre - opinion, that easily can flow into persuasive and argumentative for our writers looking for a challenge, and preparation for CAASPP.  Of course, there will be lots of fun end-of-the-year activities for our 4thies, so keep an eye out for emails with more details to follow!

    Best regards,

        Mrs. Bednar, MA Ed.

By the Great Horn Spoon!

by Newbery Award winning author, 

Sid Fleischman

Making s’mores in solar ovens!

A delicious end-of-the-year 

STEM Project!