Box Tops for Eduation

Alright everyone!  I know you have been collecting them all summer!  Time to clean out that junk drawer and send in your Boxtops for Education!  I too, have been collecting them all summer.  On Friday, the PTA smiler newsletter states that Mrs. Patel's class is in the lead, with Ms. Pace and Ms. Jones right behind.  I'm a bit competitive, and we won last year, so let's see if we can be in the lead next week!  We have some already at school, but if you have been shopping at Harris Teeter, you probably got some extra boxtops at checkout recently!  I got 65!
I just counted mine and put them in my purse to bring to school tomorrow.  I have 229!  How many do you have?

The Nine Hour Rule: Kids and Sleep From the American Heart Association

This came to my inbox from my daughter's school.  I think this is really important!  My fourth grader gets 9-10 hours each night.  She isn't the best sleeper, so we have always given her an early bedtime.  We let her stay up until 8:30 if she is reading, but she just feel asleep on the couch at 7:45.  I think that is typical for a Thursday.  We are all a little extra tired.
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Sleep is like food for the brain. And just like food, sleep gives your child energy. During sleep, their bodies grow and recover from the day’s activities. Sleep is important for everyone—especially kids. It’s not just about feeling grumpy or dozing off in school. Lack of sleep can actually lead to serious health problems.

When kids don’t get enough sleep, they can be moody and perform poorly. They might fall asleep in class and fall behind on their homework. They’ll have less energy for sports and other physical activities. And when they’re tired or low on energy, they’re more likely to choose unhealthy foods or snacks. That means getting the right amount of sleep could actually help your child eat better.

Here are some tips for helping your children get at least nine hours of sleep each night. Help them build a routine—and stick with it. Then, ask them how they feel when they get their rest compared to when they don’t.

Step it Up: To help kids get used to earlier bedtimes and more rest, add 15 minutes of sleep time each night until they’re sleeping at least nine hours.
Wind Down: Stick to quiet, calm activities before bedtime, and your kids will fall asleep much more easily. Avoid TV, computers and telephones during the hour before bed. Don’t leave homework for the last minute. And don’t eat, drink, or exercise within a few hours of bedtime.
Fill In the Naps: If you plan them right, naps can help boost your child’s energy during the day. Naps that are too long or too close to bedtime can interrupt their regular sleep.
Dream Makeover: Make your child’s bedroom the perfect places to relax and sleep. Keep the room cool, quiet and dark. You might even want to install window shades or blackout curtains. Let in bright light in the morning to help them wake up.

It's the book fairiest time of the year!

Hi Readers!
It is Pineville Scholastic book fair time!  It's the best time of the year because Mr. Steve Black comes and talks to all the teachers about the new and wonderful books that Scholastic has to offer, and raffles off prizes too!  I hope you have a chance to stop by in the morning or after school (or maybe at lunch time!) to pick up a new book or two for your reader. 
Speaking of reading...
The kids should be reading at least 30 minutes each night for homework.  I know it isn't something I track, but it really does make a difference.  It is hard to regulate at home.  I have a 4th grader.  This year she asked if she could stay up later, so we made the compromise that she would go to bed at 8:00 as usual, but could read in bed for 30 minutes.  She always yells goodnight to us before she turns off her light, so I figured at 9:20 one night she must have fallen asleep while reading.  NOPE!  She was wide awake and in a literary land somewhere far away!  Maybe that is something that works for you.  Also, they do not have to read an AR book at home.  We talked today about the different types of things they could read.  Magazines, non-fiction, video game guides, newspapers, comic books, and even cookbooks!  As long as they are comfortable, interested, and reading!
As for me, I can't wait for Mr. Steve Black to show up at Pineville tomorrow afternoon.  He always has a book or three or five that will take me to a far away place...

Current Events

Hi everyone!  Please keep your eyes open for interesting (and age appropriate!) current events in our world.  We are looking for 4 types: local (Mecklenburg and surrounding counties), state (anything happening in North Carolina), national (anything happening in the United States), and world (anything happening anywhere!).  We are also going to be starting our social studies unit on maps and globes this week.  If you have any interesting maps to look at, please feel free to send them in.
Thanks!

L*O*N*G days

Are the long days getting to your kids as much as they are getting to me?  I know we will all adjust soon enough, but I am still getting to school around 6:30 and not leaving until 4:30 or so.  By the time I get dinner done, homework checked, and all the other things I need to do completed, I fall into bed fast asleep.  I hope the kids are sleeping as well as I am!
I will have the September newsletter ready to come home on Friday.  But, until then, I have a couple of notes.

• Our lunch is not until 1:10.  The kids are absolutely starving by then.  I have been letting them have a snack around 10:30.  Feel free to send a healthy snack for them.  Please don't send anything messy (an orange to peel) or anything requiring utensils (yogurt-although go-gurt is fine, applesauce, pudding).  Cereal bars, apples, grapes, crackers, and granola bars are all filling and great choices.  Please, no candies and cookies.  I have a few crackers left from some donations, but once those run out I won't have extras for those who don't have a snack.  If you would like to donate, that would be great!
• Regarding homework, I am really looking for them to show me their strategies.  They should know (and have been writing it in their homework notebook) that when solving math word problems they need to highlight (or circle) the key word, underline the question, answer the question in a complete sentence, and show all of their work.  It is crucial for me to see that they are understanding what they are doing.
• THAT BEING SAID...I spent 30 minutes fighting with my very own 4th grade daughter last night over her math homework.  She needed to explain her answers and could tell me what she did but was having trouble writing it down.  I don't ever want homework to become like that at your house.  Fighting and tears (yours or theirs!) is counterproductive and unnecessary.  Please just jot me a note and I will go over it one on one with them.  My own personal experience tells me that children will often times listen to their teacher more than their own parent. 
• Now that I have a lot of my photo forms back, I hope to pack this blog full of photos!  Stay tuned...

Thanks for your constant support and praise.  This year has already started out so well.  What a wonderful class I have.  And, I am not just saying that!

And we're off!

And we're off!  Mr. Doerer always sends us a list of workday meetings and activities during the summer.  When it comes to the first day of school all it says is, "And we're off!"  I like it.
It was SO great to see so many familiar faces today.  I hope everyone is as happy to spend another year with Mrs. Denten as Mrs. Denten is to spend you!


Don't forget to finish up all of your paperwork.  Take the weekend if you need, but make sure I have it back Monday at the latest.  Don't worry, I'll let you know if you forgot something!

If you need me, I am an email away.  Email will probably get the quickest answer from me, but I will return all phone calls as soon as possible.  I do check my email from home a few times a night (unless I am not here) so feel free to email in the evenings too.

I am looking forward to a FANTABULOUS year!  And, we're off....

edmodo.com

Found something new and cool again!  I must have too much time on my hands!  It is called edmodo.com and it is a SAFE social networking site for teachers and students.  It looks like I can put homework/files/pictures and the such on it.  I have signed up- you can look for me and if you feel okay with it, you can sign up too.  I am still trying to figure it out, but I am there!  Looking forward to seeing you there too!

You will need a code~ 00fu0p is our class code.