Here’s a look at what we’ve been working on and what’s coming up here in the Basecamp of the Pathfinder Team.

In our Reading & Writing Workshops we are continuing to get our daily routines established. Students are focusing on choosing just right books, looking out for unknown words, and paying attention to their thinking while reading. We are getting started on a unit of reading informational (nonfiction) text and writing expository pieces.

In Math we have been using multiplication and division to solve word problems. It is so important that students know their multiplication facts! Homework will take students a lot more time if they don't know their facts by memory.  

In Science we are getting started on a unit entitled The View from Earth. We'll be looking at relationships between the Earth, Moon, and Sun and how those impact our life here on Earth.

In Social Studies we began looking at the four types of social scientists: historians, geographers, political scientists, and economists. We'll be digging in deeper as geographers ourselves looking at the United States in relation to other places in the world and then the specific features that can be found here. 

Odds and Ends...

• MEAP Testing is around the corner. Testing begins on October 9th. I'll send a testing schedule home soon! Also, be on the lookout for a snack signup.
• Just Right Library will begin next week. Students will be required to read their Just Right Library book for their at-home reading each night. If they want to read more than their 20 minutes they may read a book of their choice. 
• Thanks for continuing to sign and return weekly "How did I do this week?" forms and Homework Reports. 
• I had 14 students apply to be Team Techies. I'm going to choose 4 of them to get started and then will rotate students to give others a chance later in the year. This is a new thing for me so I'm going to need my techies to be patient while I figure things out. :>)
• I've created a new website for parents and students this year - still located at http://mr.hollandanderson.net. There is a suggestion box on the Contact page for you to tell me what you'd like to see there. 

If you ever have a question or comment about what is happening in our classroom, please feel free to contact me either by phone, e-mail, or by sending in a note.  I’ll get back to you as soon as I’m able!

“Life is either a daring adventure… or nothing at all.”  - Helen Keller

Dear Parents,

Welcome to a new school year!  It was great to meet most of you at Open House and during the first few days of school.  I thought I’d take a moment to introduce myself.  My name is Kip Holland-Anderson, but my students call me “Mr. H-A.”  This school year will be my seventeenth year as a teacher (WOW!  Where do the years go?). 

I was born and raised in Minneapolis, MN and graduated from North Park College in Chicago, IL where I student taught in a 4th grade classroom.  Upon graduating I was offered a position working with 8th grade students.  After my wife and I moved to Holland, MI, I continued teaching 8th graders at Creekside Middle School where I taught for nine years.  In 2006 I requested a transfer to 4th grade and this year will be my seventh year at Roosevelt. My wife teaches 4th grade part-time at East K-7 in Holland Public Schools where our three kids attend school.  

I chose the theme of the Pathfinder Team for our classroom because I believe that learning is a journey and an adventure.  As the quote above states, life is a “daring adventure.”  I like to extend that to education and learning as well.  Learning is a daring adventure in that sometimes it is picturesque, easy-going, and feels great.  Other times the journey is difficult, challenging, and possibly frustrating.  Sometimes it will take risks to step out and try new things.  Yet, as with all great adventures I believe that when we reach the end of the school year we will look back and be amazed at how far we’ve traveled together and how much we’ve learned.

If you ever have a question or comment, please feel free to contact me either by phone, e-mail, or by sending in a note (contact info. is at the bottom of the page).  I’ll get back to you as soon as I’m able!

Happy Trails!
Mr. H-A