Thursday, February 28, 2013

RockSTAAR


AKA the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness test.

It has arrived.
The countdown for STAAR tests
In just a few short weeks, my class will take STAAR exams for writing, reading & math to assess their mastery of fourth grade skills. My kiddos will need to write narrative & expository essays, read various passages & answer questions to assess comprehension, & solve intense 2-step math problems.

Their brains are really put to the test at this point in the year...as is mine! Amidst the test-prepping/test-taking, I know we are all struggling to make class as fun & stress-free as it was before "crunch time" arrived.

Test time
Every second in the classroom is precious. Snack time has turned into silent math review, morning do-nows involve problem solving, etc. We are in go-go-go mode!

Snack time/place value spiral review
 My kids are champs, but I know spring break is coming at the most perfect & necessary time. We are all getting burnt out. March 8-11 will be a fantastic time to recharge batteries, spend quality time with family & friends, & just rest the soul in general.

Until then, I'll be pushing strong, as will the kids. We're on the path to become RockSTAARS :)

Recent events:

A 4th grade field trip to the Sid Richardson Museum lead to a fun painting activity
Daniel Silverman, Account Coordinator of Schaefer, was guest speaker 

We learned how to simplify fractions

Students gave me a lot of "flowers" during recess
My kids ran the Cowtown 5K
As did the rest of my school
I was able to attend the Vicente Fox Presidential Series featuring the honorable José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Prime Minister of Spain (2004-2011) thanks to the generous Sid Richardson Foundation & Teach For America

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