Merry Christmas!

The entire school did a fantastic job singing at today's Holiday Concert! I hope you were able to see the show. All of our hard work practicing with Mrs. Sullivan's class sure paid off, because the children did a wonderful job singing, "My Teacher Gave To Me!"
Report cards will go home this Friday and then we will all be on vacation until Monday, January 3, 2011.
Have a safe and Happy Holiday. See you next year!

The team at the top of the mountain didn't fall there!

Hard work at school, at home, or in sports are the key to getting to the top! It takes a lot of practice to get good at anything, and to be the best at something, takes even more hard work. For young students, learning good study habits and being responsible when it comes to finishing your homework and classroom assignments are keys to success. As the first semester comes to a close, I'm impressed by the positive attittude the children in The Big Dog Room have shown towards learning. They are all becoming actively engaged in classroom discussions, no matter what the subject. It's great when they read something about science or history and ask questions about where they can find out more information regarding the topic.
We still have a lot of work to do in 4th Grade, but I know they'll come back in January and  be excited about the challenges the new year will bring.

What courage it takes to believe in a dream!

The class has been working on a writing prompt that involves describing a day at your dream job. I encourage them to dream big, and never give up on themselves. I'm extremely proud of how hard they've worked on this assignment. They are using exciting language, descriptive adjectives, and including dialogue. We've got a class full of future NFL linebackers, policemen, and fashion designers, to name just a few dream jobs!
Our canned food drive is up and running, so please contribute what you can to this important program. We'll be making a pyramid of cans in the room.
Don't forget to attend our Holiday Concert on Wednesday, December 15th. Additional information and permission slips are going home in each student's Homework Folder.
Special Note To All Dads: Even though it's over a month away, don't forget to mark Friday, January 21st on your calendar as our "Daddy/Daughter Dance"! My little girl is a junior in high school, and cringes now at the mere thought of me dancing, but we used to have a great time whenever we attended these events in the past. Don't let this opportunity for a lifelong memory slip away.

Your spark can become a flame and change everything!

Sparking children's interest in a variety of subjects is probably one of the most rewarding aspects of being an educator. I like to tell the class that with hard work they can achieve their dreams and that one of them might be the first astronaut on Mars, find the cure for cancer, win a Grammy or become the Cats quarterback!
A positive attitude at school, and being responsible when it comes to doing your work at home can go a long way towards helping one achieve their goals. I hope they were extremely helpful around the house after filling out the Responsibility Chart that was part of last week's homework. I look forward to reading them all on Monday.
You should be proud of the hard work they're putting in at school. They wrote goal sheets last week before we left, and they all aspire to do great things with their lives.
I will continue to do the best I can to help them on that quest.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you all have a safe and happy Thanksgiving break! Thank you to everyone who sent in gravy for our school feast. A lot of hard work from parents and staff goes into making this event a success, and it serves of a reminder of how thankful we should all be for being a part of the La Paloma community.
The class has improved a great deal on being able to complete their Times Multiplication tests in the time allowed. I'm so proud of them for making the effort to work on memorizing their Multiplitcation Tables at home. The flash cards we made are a valuable tool as they are able to see the answers and commit them to memory. Knowing those products by heart gives them a tremendous advantage as we move further into our division lessons. I've been telling them since the first week of school to, "Use your addition to check your subraction."
Now they are getting used to hearing me remind them to, "Use your multiplication to check your division."
This all fits in perfectly with the quote for Monday morning, "A lesson hard to learn is sweet to know!"
Happy Thanksgiving from The Stauch Family!

When you aim for perfection, you discover it's a moving target.

Second quarter progress reports will be going home on Monday. Please sign and return the attached form to let me know you received the report. The class has been working hard this year, and while no one is expected to be perfect, I'm proud of the effort the majority of them make on a daily basis.
Fourth Grade has been assigned "Turkey Gravy" for our school's Thanksgiving Feast. If everyone could send in at least one jar or can, it would be greatly appreciated.
They got to do a fun, hands on science experiment on Friday for our magnets lesson. Without leaving their seats to touch anything first, the two groups had to make a list of 25 objects they thought would be attracted to the magnet. It was interesting to see their reactions, as they got to then walk around with large magnets to see if their hypothesis ended up to be correct.
We will be continuing to master multiplitcation facts through 12, and the introduction of division in math next week. We will be learing more about the Desert Tribes of Arizona in Social Studies. jOur second Judy Blume book, "Double Fudge", is proving to be even more popular than the first one! The class is working on parts of speech in the Buckle Down writing series, and our Character Counts lessons will focus on setting goals.

This is your one and only life, so take excellence very personally.

The character trait we're focusing on this month is Responsibility. Turning completed homework in on time, reading for at least twenty minutes every night and filling out Reading Logs correctly, giving your best effort every day at school, and being a responsible classmate to those you work with and sit around are all extremely important.
We are continuing to work on multiplying two digit by two digit numbers in Math. We have also been working on division and relating it to the fact families they are used to doing with addition and subtraction. Our Saxon Math book and the Buckle Down series we use also provide constant review of measurement, fractions and decimals.
Next week we will be reading about Magnets and Electricity in Science. Our Social Studies newspaper will introduce the students to the Desert Tribes of Arizona, and one of my favorites, the Gila Monster.

Knowledge is a treasure, but practice is the key to it!

Thank you very much for sending in candy for the Harvest Fest! We had a great turn out Friday night and everyone had lots of fun. Tomorrow starts the Candle Sale, so look in your child's Homework Folder for details.
We covered a variety of material during "Say Not to Drugs" week, and there were plenty of questions raised. It's important we keep that dialogue open with your child so they keep asking for information on the dangers of drug use.
We are focusing on remembering our Multiplication Facts through 12. Practice is the key! Everyone will be making flash cards to bring home, so please ask to see them and make sure they practice.

The Big Dog Room Needs Your Help!

The La Paloma Harvest Fest is Friday, October 29th. Our school is having a contest to see which class gets the most bags of candy donated for the big event! We can only win with your help!
 I don't think you we extra points for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Snickers, or M & M's With Peanuts, but we should because those are my favorites!

Everything Looks Impossible For The People Who Never Try Anything!

I've been telling the class that if they work hard, and stay focused, there's no reason they all shouldn't be able to improve their math grades this quarter. When I sent home last week's homework folder, I told them they could earn points for their pod if they figured out what was so different about the math homework. No one found what they were supposed to circle, but a lot of them said it was "easy".
Today I told them I was so happy to hear how easy it was, because at the bottom of the page, they should have circled that it was 5th Grade work! They were giving each other high fives, and saying that I should "bring on the college math!"
Knowing they had done something as "impossible" as 5th Grade Math problems, really did a lot for their confidence. It was as quiet and on task as they've ever been when we got down to our actual 4th Grade Math lesson.
We have tests in a few subjects every Friday. In an effort to reduce the stress that some of them feel, I let them stretch out, and we sometimes play a game called "Teacher Says". Today, I added something that has worked great in the past. I showed them an acrostic poem that said, TESTS, drawn inside a large ghost.

Tests don't scare me!
Easy as pie!
Stay focused!
Try your best!
Smile!

Then I play the sound track to "Ghostbusters" and they have to sing along, only adding the word "TEST Busters, I ain't afraid of no test!" They are allowed to even dance. If they aren't loose and laughing yet, they are when they see me dance. I always point out that the correct way to say it would be, "I'm not afraid of any test.", but that just doesn't work with the song!
By doing this, I hope to get them thinking that Friday is the day we get to see Mr. Stauch dance to "Test Busters", and not, "OH NO we have to take a spelling test."
I'm proud to say, that I still have student's come up to me that I taught years ago saying whenever they take a test, they still crack a smile and it helps them relax just thinking about "Test Busters!"

The Mind Is Like A Parachute, It Works Best When Open!

I've been telling the class how important it is to come back to school next week with a positive attitude as we face the challenges of the new quarter together! School is hard sometimes, but if you don't have an open mind toward learning new things, that just makes it so much tougher. Everyone starts off with a clean slate and the opportunity to make the Principal's Honor Roll. Earning straight A's is difficult, but not impossible! In talking about grades before school got out, I used the quote, "Don't let the world say about us, 'we almost', let them say, 'We Did'!!"
I know we have many students in the Big Dog Room who are capable of straight A's, and I'm always striving to instill in them the confidence to reach their potential. A large part of that is taking the responsibility to finish all their homework on time. Homework is going to be a little different this quarter, so they don't get bored with the same old stuff. Reading for twenty minutes every night, and turning in three Big Dog Reading Logs signed by a parent,  hasn't changed, and is an easy way to earn a free Pizza Hut coupon!
Remind them of the Chinese Proverb, "A book shut tight, is but a block of paper."

Intelligence without ambition is like a bird without wings!

We had perfect attendance in the Big Dog Room for our 4oth day together! It's so important that your child is on time and in school for the entire day, everyday!
The students did a great job presenting their animal reports. It was important to be prepared, because they were asked some interesting questions by their peers.
Twelve students received Free Pizza coupons from Pizza Hut on Friday. For every three Big Dog Reading Logs that are turned in, and signed by a parent, your child will receive a coupon until I run out of them. Reading for at least 20 minutes every night has been part of their assigned homework since school started. Much like so many things in life, one becomes a better reader with practice, practice, practice.
Please be sure to check your child's Homework Folder every Monday for the La Paloma Link, which has valuable information on what's happening at school. Everything on the Left Side of the Homework Folder is Left at Home.

Attendance Tomorrow Is Extremely Important!

Please don't forget that Thursday, Oct. 7th is our 40th Day of School and it is very important that we have 100% attendance in The Big Dog Room!
Thanks!

If You Don't Look Out For Others, Who Will Look Out For You!

We had some interesting discussions in the Big Dog Room last week. Being able to talk about problems with your friends is an important part of growing up. Eliminate the gossip, speak the truth, and follow a good rule of thumb that you never say something behind someone's back that you wouldn't say to their face, and you will have a lot of friends looking out for you!
We made an "Honesty Chain" in class, with everyone contributing a link that gave their reason why being honest was important. It's hanging in our room to remind everyone that all the links together make the chain stronger. Just like everyone giving that extra effort in class to get along, make us all a little stronger too.

The more I want to get something done, the less I call it work!

I got a chance to check out the dance on Friday after school and it looked like everyone was having a great time! It was fun to see them so excited about getting dressed up, doing their hair, and getting out on the dance floor. I was looking forward to showing them a couple of my classic moves, but our daughter has forbidden me from dancing in public. I think she's jealous because I'm so smooth. I tried to explain to her that the key is to pretend you're guarding Michael Jordan in the last three seconds of a championship game and keep your arms and legs going in different directions. Smooth.
Speaking of smooth, some of the students have quickly gotten the hang of letting their cursive handwriting flow across the page with ease. The school had three ring binders for any teacher who wanted some, so I grabbed one for each student. They got to decorate the cover of "My Cursive Journal", and this gives them something else to focus on when their assigned work is completed. Attractive handwriting is a lost art, but they loved practicing their names once I reminded them about all the autographs they would have to sign after they wrote their first book, appeared on television with their latest invention, or became a famous ballplayer or singer. Works every time!

Success is the result of good planning!

The title of today's blog is just one of the quotes I put on the board last week. I put one up everyday for them to think about, and use for a class discussion. I've found that using quotes is a great tool to encourage them to always do their best. Part of my job is to inspire children to always look to the future and the importance of education. I got a good laugh on Friday, when I was talking about how they are all going to go to college, and one girl said, "My mom said college is just for hippies!" I was quick to point out that college is indeed for everyone, and that part of the great experience of going to college is meeting people from all walks of life. Sure has been a long time since I heard anyone called a "hippie"!
Here's a sampling of our Quote of the Day:
"The only real failure in life is never to have tried."
"Surround yourself with people who believe, you can!"
"Hard work and perserverance bring reward."
And one of my favorites, "Try to be a ray of sunshine in someone's cloudy day!"

Critters

The class will be doing a lot of work on their animal research paper this week. The book we use at school, "Critters", is a wonderful source of information, but I'm encouraging them to use the internet, and other library books. Everyone got to choose an animal they were interested in, so I'm sure it will be a fun project.
Spelling word are much easier to read this week. I know some of the copies had been awfully hard to read, but please don't let them fool you if they every say they don't know the words, because we use them for Bell Work every Monday! They are also up on the board until Thursday for everyone to see and copy. The words this week are months of the year, and days of the week, so they can find them on a calendar, too.
Please return the library form that went home in everyone's Homework Folder, so that your child can check out books from our school library.

Labor Day Holiday Extended Through Thursday!

I'll bet that got your attention! We had a great turn out for our Open House. I've always left paper on the desks so parents can leave a little "love note" for their child to read the next morning. It is always amusing to watch the expression on their faces as they read them. Some can't wait to share it with the entire class, while others feign embarrassment when you just know they loved getting it.
I used two of my favorite quotes on the board this week. The first was, "Teachers open the door, but you must enter." This one gives us a chance to talk about the idea that you have to make the effort to learn and become a great student. It's not going to be easy, and there are always things you don't understand at first, but you can never give up.
The other quote was,"Books are the one true magic carpet." I want to share with them my love of reading, so they know that there is so much to gain by enjoying a good book. A public library card is free, and it can be your "ticket" to anywhere your imagination wants to go.

Smile! Monday is Picture Day!

Keep up the great job selling those Entertainment Books!
I hope everyone remembers to bring in their picture money on Monday! This is not a Dress Down photo, students are to wear LPA collared shirts.
Hope you will be able to make it to our Open House, and visit the Book Fair, this Wednesday from 6-8 pm.
Our class is going to preview the Book Fair Monday morning, so they might be asking you to buy them a fantastic book they discovered when you come to Open House!
Speaking of books, the Scholastic Book Club orders are due this Friday.
Big week for birthdays at the Stauch house! Our daughter is turning 17 and has her first Salpointe swim meet this Thursday! To celebrate my birthday, we're going to see the Astros vs. DBacks next weekend. I have been friends with one of the Astros trainers for over twenty years, as we met when we were both with the Triple A Tucson Toros. We always make the trip to Phoenix to have lunch with him when the team comes to town. Our son plays on a year round baseball club, and he loves making the trip. He still talks about the time we got the grand tour of the visiting team's locker room, and a chance to sit in the dugout and walk onto the field. Getting to shake hands with some of his favorite Astros is something he'll never forget. Even for an old Cub Fan like me, that was still very cool!

The Moment You've All Been Waiting For Has Arrived!

Welcome to the Big Dog Room Blog! Our class has been working very hard! They have been doing some extremely creative writing and doing a wonderful job standing up and reading to the entire group. There is a lot of fun new Math to learn in 4th Grade. We started a Math Journal today with a little poem I wrote called, "I Love Math!

Math is fun,
it can be easy,
I'll NEVER let it
make my stomach queasy!

This is to help them relax when they think about math...don't get stressed and worry everytime the subject comes up. I want them to have a positive approach, so they don't panic at test time.