Academy of Dover

100 Days: We will be celebrating our 100 days of school on January 29th. If you haven't already, please have your child bring an item in to help us mark this occasion.

  DSTP tutoring: Will begin February 2, 2010 for 3 days a week, Tuesday - Thursday. 3:30 - 4:45. All students are expected to attend. (Permission slips have been sent home. Please read carefully)

Penny jar: Students have been bringing in pennies for our pizza party scheduled in June. This effort helps defer the cost of the pizza and extras that go with the pizza. Please encourage your child to contribute. 

Haiti Relief Fund: We will be starting as a school to collect money for the families over in Haiti who encountered a catastrophe a few weeks ago. Thanks to the efforts of two students in my class, Kyra Maddox and Shayna Walker for their idea and work. More information will follow from the principal.

Test Prep: I will be sending home a sheet for you to read with your child about preparing for DSTP. In addition, I will be sending home a test prep connection sheet for homework. This sheet should be doublesided and only in Language Arts. This sheet will replace the regular homework I send home such as grammar  or writing worksheets Please assist your child in carefully filling out the bubble and thinking about their answer prior to placing it.

DSTP after-school tutoring: Please ensure all arrangements have been made for students to be picked up prior to your child coming to school. Please send in a written note with a contact number if there is any change to your child not attending. I will not accept verbal messages from your child about any changes. I have all signed permission slips from students who are allowed to stay and those students where authorization was not given will depart at their regular scheduled time. No calls will be made by students verifying if they can stay.    

I have promised students that whomever makes a "3" or above on the DSTP will be treated to Pizza Hut if scores come in prior to us departing for the school-year. This is an incentive. 3 is satisfactory, 4 is Very Good and "5" is Excellent. I only expect students to get a minimum of a "3". Anything above that is awesome. Remind students that they will have to show their work as it relates to the Math section of the test. Please continue to work with your child in assuring this happens. 

  DSTP: Is scheduled for March 10-19  Two days of Reading/LA and 2 days of Math. The remaining days are for make-up. Please ensure that your child gets a good night's sleep and is well rested. Please talk to your child about reviewing his/her work and to do his/her best. 

(March 29, 2010) In-service: School closed for students

March 31, 2010 and April 1: Report cards/parent teacher conferences  1/2 days (During this week, all lessons in Math and La will be a review. No new lessons will be taught due to the short week).

School will be closed April 5 -9, 2010 for Spring Break. 

A big "SHOUT OUT" to all parents who came out for AOD night and had your child participate in the play. It was a success.

Parents, I know that the weather is changing and students may be tempted to come out of uniform but please remember that the dress code must be enforced. If your child becomes cool in the class, he/she may wear a jacket. In order for the jacket to be worn outside of the class, it must be uniform colors. This also includes the shoes to be worn in the class. Should you have further questions, please see the office.

During parent/teacher conference, I spoke more about cap and gown for the students who were departing from 4th grade. A few of you have responded but not all. If I do not get enough parent to participate, I will forgo the idea.   

4th grade's ceremony: Will be held June 16th at 1:30 The attire is "dress clothes" . No jeans or sneakers. Girls are to be in dresses or skirts. Boys are "required" to wear ties and dress pants.

Fieldtrip to the Zoo has been cancelled.

Fieldtrip to "William Henry" school is scheduled for Monday, June 7, 2010. Departure is 8:30 a.m.

Our "pizza" party  is scheduled for June 17th for my class. This is my treat to them.

Last day of school is June 18th.    

I have a "BS" degree in Early Childhood Education. I graduated from Delaware State University in 1982. I can teach grades K-5. Prior to coming to the Academy of Dover, I was a Head Start Director for (3) counties in Maryland for (14) years. I was an Executive Director for an early childhood program in Delaware for (3) years. I have been at the academy for (5) years. I have taught kindergarten, fifth, (briefly) first grade and now fourth. I am certified to teach K-5.  I am a "highly certified" teacher. 

Homework: Week of January 25-29, 2010

Math: We will be starting "Area & Perimeter" on 1-25-10. We will cover this topic for a week. Tests are primarily on Friday, 1-29-10  

1-25-10: Topic/Explanation sheet, pg. 84-85. 

1-26-10 Exercise 49 worksheet 

1-27-10 Exercise 50 worksheet

1-28-10 Exercise 51 worksheet 

1-29-10 Exercise 52               Test Day

Below is a list of Math topics we will be covering prior to DSTP:

*Measurement

* Volume

*Data Analysis & Probability

* Decimals

Week of Feb. 2-5-10:

Math: Daily worksheets on area & perimeter

LA: Study spelling & robust vocabulary words for upcoming test.

Social Studies: 2-2-10: Worksheet on different branches of government

Week of Feb. 8-12-10

Math: Worksheets on measurement to reinforce what is being taught in class.

LA: Study lesson 20 spelling and robust vocabulary words. Test prep worksheets in comprehension and vocabulary. 

S.S.: None

Science: None

Week of Feb. 22-26-10:

LA: Study spelling words and robust vocabulary words for lesson 21. (Weekly test on 2-26-10)

Math: Daily lessons in class and homework will be the same. We will be working on "volume". There will be a doublesided worksheet each night.

SS. 2-24-10 homework sheet Lesson 1: Land & Climate on coastal plains only. 

Week of 3-1-10: Math homework sheets daily will be on symmetry. Language Arts worksheets will be on linking and helping verbs. A Social Studies sheet will be sent home on Wednesday on Land and Climate. Test will be on Friday, 3-5-10 on Lesson 22 in Language Arts. Math test will also be given on symmetry. 

No homework the week of March 8th due to DSTP testing. Homework will resume the week of the 22nd. 

No homework will be given March 15-16th. Homework will be given 17-18th.  No homework on Friday, 3-19-10.

Homework: March 22-26-10 will focus on past tense and subject verbs. Math will be on decimals.

Social Studies homework will be 3-23-10 and 3-24-10 on coastal plains and highlands in the South.The remaining days, seatwork will focus on vocabulary words from lessons 1-3 such as, producer, consumer, scarcity, dam, opportunity cost, point of view, delta, interior and adapt. Test will be on 3-26-10 on the above words. 

 Week of March 29th: No homework due to in-service days, 1/2 days and closing due to Spring Break.

April 1st: Spelling words and robust vocabulary words will be given to students to study while on Spring Break. Test will be given upon their arrival back to school.  

Note: In the early part of April, students will explore the new science kit which will be on land and water.

April 19-23-10: Math will focus on decimals but "hundredths. This is a continuation of decimals from 10ths. We are on lesson 25 in Language Arts and homework for the week will focus on a review of verbs, context clues and our story. Students should study their spelling and robust words.

Our "Land and Water" science kit has arrived. We are currcntly on lesson 2. Homework in Science for the week is a form in which students have to record by using check marks of the amount of water they use daily.     

Week of May 3-7, 2010: Language Arts: Lessons daily will focus on main ideas, words with greek and latin parts and figurative speech.

Math: Decimals

Week of May 10-14-10: Language Arts: Figurative speech, folktales, and adverbs. 

Math: Rounding decimals

Science: Study for test on 5-14-10

Week of May 17-21-10: Language Arts: Words w/prefixes, roots and suffixes, punctuation and main idea

Math: Subtracting and adding decimals

SS: Study for test on 5-14-10 and 5-28-10

Study for upcoming Science test (Vocabulary words) 

Week of June 1st:  Math: Multiplication worksheets on decimals    Spelling words: Spelling words are from previous lessons. No robust vocabulary words.

Week of 6-7-10:  No spelling words this week for a test. There is a "spelling bee" scheduled on 6-11-10

                                Math and LA homework sheets  Math: Decimals        

I can be reached before and after school. Feel free to leave a message If you opt to contact me via email, please do so as well. My address is: Vbrown-benton@aod.k12.de.us

Thanks!!!!  

In my class, I have "Classroom Managers". Titles are pencil,computer, meteorologist, door,line leader, paper, and messenger managers. New jobs are assigned to students every Monday. It is done on a rotation basis. If the student is absent or late getting to school on the day of jobs,  he/she will be exempt from a position until it rolls around again.

Sometimes if there is a short week, jobs may be pushed to the next week.

Good links we use in the classroom that may be helpful for you and your child: www.mrnussbaum.com

Go to the section that has reading comprehension and there should be different reading passages for your child to read and answer pertinent questions.

Math sites are www.funbrain.com and www.primarygames.com. We use these in class.    

An additional wonderful website to assist students in their reading comprehension, vocabulary and Math is: scholastic.com. Go to "connect" and hit grade 4th. This will lead you and your child to activities they can do independently to help prepare for the DSTP as well as daily practice.