Maya's 4th/5th Grade Class

Welcome to Maya and Melissa's 2018-19 4th/5th Grade Class!

July 2018

Dear Students, “Monsters” and Families,

As I write this letter, it is July and I am fully enjoying summer. This means spending time with my nephews, teaching writing to kids and adults, finding great new books for our classroom library, and doing lots of writing. School seems a long way off right now, but eventually the cooler evenings will come and we’ll gather together again at the Earth School to share our days. I’m looking forward to spending time with all you new and returning “monsters.” I can’t wait to hear about how you spent your summer!

The theme of our Core Study this year is “Justice for All?” What do you wonder about when you hear those words? Why do you think there is a question mark at the end? We will try to answer some basic questions like: Where do rights come from? What is justice? How can I live a life committed to justice? Can one person make a difference? We will start by thinking about the rights and responsibilities that we have as a classroom community. We will learn about how the United States became a country. Who had the power to make a country and give it rules? What were some of the big ideas that went into those rules? The main puzzle in our study will be to think about how our country, which was founded on the idea that all people should be treated equally, could have so many examples of groups of people being treated unequally. One of the most important words we will use this year is perspective. We will learn history from the perspective of groups of people that have had to take responsibility to fight for their rights and even their freedom. Studying the perspectives of Native Americans, African Slaves, and European colonists will be a good starting point. We’ll read some really great books together on these topics.

But, I’m not ready for summer to be over yet, so let’s keep enjoying the sunshine and adventures. See you in September! Join me in Room 152 by the Earth School lobby.

Best,

Maya

maya@theearthschool.org (I am checking sporadically over the summer.)

[Note on the term “monster”. Years ago the students in my class dubbed themselves “Maya’s Monsters” for the Olympics we held in Phys. Ed. and they claimed that once you are a monster, you will remain one for life. You might want to look up the term in the dictionary and see if you agree with the definition. If not, write your own and submit it to me by email.]

.Maya’s 4th/5th grade Supply List: 2018-2019

The items are listed in order of priority. If you are not able to purchase them all at this time, please start from the top and work your way down.

• • 1 sturdy folder (for homework – label with child’s name)

  • 4 composition notebooks (marble-style, not spiral, pls.)

  • 1 package of large erasers (not pencil top)

  • 1 roll of tape: masking, packing, duct or scotch refill (no dispensers, pls)

  • 1 box markers (thick or thin)

  • 1 box of pencils (Ticonderoga are best)

  • 1 handheld pencil sharpener (Staedtler are best)

  • 1 glue stick

  • Earbuds/headphones (A microphone is unnecessary- these are for listening to interviews.)

For Emmy in Earth Studies:

• • 1 pack of pencils

  • 1 pack of yellow highlighters

4th grade families only:

• • 1 box of tissues

  • post-its (any size, lines or no lines)

  • 2 black Sharpies

5th grade families only:

• • 1 roll of paper towels

  • 1 bottle of eco-cleaning spray (No orange scent/no bleach; Maya is allergic to oranges)

  • 2 thin black Sharpies

NOTE: I will be providing all other folders, so please do not buy more than the homework folder. Thanks! ☺

NOTE 2: If you would like to donate additional items to our classroom, please consider a plant or materials for the open work shelf.