September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.  Wear yellow or gold Wednesday, Sept 14.

• WEDNESDAY: September 14, Wear Yellow/Gold for Childhood Cancer Awareness
• THURSDAY:  September 15, Fall School Pictures

We are learning that authors have messages that they want the reader to learn or understand in a book they wrote.

Author’s purpose is the reason why the author wrote a specific book.

In Social Studies we are learning about the various Native American tribes that settled in the various regions of Texas.

Your child has a weekly spelling test, almost without fail. The list is comprised of ten words.

While we do some independent work with them in class, most of them need to be studying them at home!

We do NOT assign spelling homework. Each child learns differently, so I have encouraged the students to find out what works for them.

Suggestions I have made:

• have someone at home give you a pretest to determine which ones you already know to focus on those you don’t
• write your words multiple times
• write “rainbow” words (ask your student), retracing the same letters in different colors repeatedly
• create word pyramids, letter by letter (ask your student)
• use Scrabble tiles or Banagrams letters to create your words
• WHATEVER they do have them say the letters aloud as they write them to reinforce and help them learn it!

So find what works best for your child and encourage them to do that :-)!

…last night at the parent meeting, the question was asked, “How often do the students go to the library?”

What a GREAT question!

We have a scheduled library time every other Thursday during their RLA (Reading Language Arts class time). This is written in your student’s planner, or should be. It is critical that your child keep/return their library books to their backpack nightly at home, so that they are always prepared to read or return their books!

If your student is absent on a library day, we will do our best to get them into an open checkout time to get one.

Thank you all so much for sacrificing your time and coming to the fourth grade parent meeting tonight! I hope you found it helpful and it is truly a privilege to influence and teach your children.

Please be sure to join the Remind group!

And just a few reminders:

Thursday, September 15, Fall School Pictures

Wednesday, September 21, Early Release Day for Students

It’s a great time to be a Roughneck! I am looking forward to a wonderful year this year, filled with progress.

Please be sure to subscribe to my Remind group as well as I use it most often.

The next two weeks are going to go by in a blur!  In reading, we will continue to work on identifying the plot (conflict/rising action/solution to conflict/declining action) and beginning our exploration of non-fiction and text features.  In Texas History we will be finishing up our study of Texas Native Americans.

Other important dates include:  

Tomorrow: December 6, 2021 – Field Trip. Parents who plan to attend and walk around with their students’ class must check in at the office at 8:00 am to have their driver’s license copied to receive a printed tag.  (Sorry for the late notice, but we just found out!. You may sign your student out with their teacher at the end of the field trip.

December 16 & 17, 2021 are both early release days at 11:45.

December 17, 2021 at 9:00am to 10:00am we will be having our Christmas Party.  Parents are WELCOME this year!!! Look for a letter to come home this week regarding the party.

If you wish to contribute food to the party, please remember that it must be store bought and individually wrapped.  You may sign your student out, with their teacher, after the party if you wish.

Hello my name is Tara Good and I am grateful to have the privilege of teaching your child both reading and social studies this year.

I am new to WOISD and a mom of 5 myself (my oldest is in college). I have heard so many amazing things about WO and it is an honor to join the Roughneck family. I taught fourth grade in both Duncanville and Mesquite ISD and am a graduate of Texas A & M at Commerce. During my time with Mesquite ISD I received the First Year Teacher of the Year Award.

I am thankful to partner with you to help your child grow and excel this year! I am looking forward to learning more about your student and the White Oak traditions. I’m excited about encouraging the students to do their best!

Thank you for entrusting your greatest gift, your student, to me.