Important Dates                                              January 20th- No School MLK Day                                                             February 3-8 Wish Week                                                           Monday- Last Years Purple Be a Good Person Shirt                                                                  Tuesday- Pajama Day                                                                                                                  Wednesday- "S'Winter" Day (Summer/Winter Clothes Mix)                                                      Thursday- Safari Out                                                                                                                   Friday- Wish Shirt                                                                                 February 14th- No School Professional Development Day         

                        Our Week At A Glance

Social Studies- This week students started a project to complete our moving west unit. Students are to pick a settler, miner or booster and then create their project as if they are that person. They have to identify why they came to Colorado and what impact they had on the land. We will continue to work on this project next week as well and then present the following week. 

Writing- We have started to focus on writing evidence based reading responses. Students will read articles and then answer questions, create a plan and then write an essay based on the reading. We will continue to work on this for the couple of months to ensure that students know how to uses their reading strategies and then apply them to a writing piece.  

Reading- We have finished up our non-fiction unit this week. Student will begin new novel group next week that focus on historical fiction. As a whole group we will be reading Number the Stars to learn new comprehension skills that we will apply in our novel groups. I am excited to get the students back to novels!

Math- We are currently in our 3rd Module. This module focuses primarily on long multiplication and division. We spent this week reviewing multiplication skills and continuing to learn the steps for solving long division problems. We will move into prime and composite numbers and factors and multiples next week. 

Homework 

Reading- Students maybe assigned reading homework Monday through Thursday that aligns to their instruction. If an official reading assignment is not given, the students will be asked to read a minimum of 20 minutes a night. 

Math- Students will have a math assignment Monday through Thursday, unless the class has an assessment that day. 

Math Facts- Students need to be working on multiplication/division facts daily for 15 minutes. Students can use flash cards, online programs, or any form that works best for them. 

**If a student does not have their homework completed they will complete their work during the second recess. They are responsible each night to complete assigned tasks and have planners signed.**

Welcome, I am Mrs. Esparza, your fourth grade teacher. This is my sixth year teaching at Sand Creek and my eighth year teaching fourth grade. My husband and I are both Colorado natives and are currently living in Morrison. We have two beautiful daughters and two crazy pups that complete our family. I enjoy being outdoors, camping, relaxing on our boat, exploring different zoos and spending time as a family. Sand Creek is my home and I love working here with the wonderful staff and amazing families. 

Education: Bachelors degree in Interdisciplinary Arts/ Liberal Arts with an emphasis in Math and Science at Western State College. 

Teaching Philosophy: I truly believe that children are the building blocks of the future and teachers are the foundation. As a teacher, I feel that it is my job to inspire, encourage and motivate every student. My hope is that I can make a lifelong impression on each child.