Learning to be a Team at Bear Creek

Well our first week sure did fly by! We spent a ton of time learning how to open our lockers (almost all of us have it!), learning our way around Bear Creek, getting to know our new friends, and learning about how things work in our classroom.

One of the most important things we started to talk about was being part of a team. We played a game called Name Juggling, and when Mrs. Bair added more than one bean bag, it was very easy to see how our actions affect other people. Even if one person started laughing and being silly, the whole game got messed up! We talked about what that meant about our actions in the classroom. We played some other games to practice being active listeners, and we also did some activities to get to know each other better.

Our favorite activity was 2 Truths and A Lie. Each student had to think of 2 true things about themselves and one lie about themselves. Then the rest of the class had to figure out which one was the lie. We had a LOT of fun hearing about everybody's pets, interests, and favorite foods, and there were some very creative lies to try and trip us up!

On top of all of the activities in our classroom, we did a lot of different stations throughout the school with our team. We learned about bus rules with Mr. Kingsborough, school rules with Dr. Spagnolo, and played a crazy balloon game with the counselors and Mrs. DelMarcelle, the instructional coach. It was a busy and fun week, and you can see pictures from all of these different activities in the slideshow below. The best part, though, was really starting to think about what it means to be a team. Here's what we came up with so far! I'm sure we're going to be great teammates in no time!

Our class decided these were the things good teammates do

And here's our beginning of the year slideshow:

Wow! What a First Day!

I can't believe our first day is over - it went so fast! Here in the Bair's Den we spent a TON of time trying to learn our lockers (some of us have mastered it already!), and we did different stations to learn about Bear Creek. We talked about how to get our lunch in the cafeteria, and we got a chance to try out the playground. The music teachers and reading specialist talked to us about clinic time, and we learned that every Day 6 we get to have Free BEAR. That's a fun time where we can pick the activity that we want to do. Some of the choices are a game in the gym, computers, a nature walk, movies, chess club, puzzles, and board games.

After lunch we did one more station to learn about the walking path. Did you know that we can walk from Bear Creek all the way to East High? You can!! We learned the rules for the walking path, and Mrs. Shenk taught us a fun chant to help us remember them. In the picture below we are signing our names to show that we will be safe and have fun on the walking path.

It was an amazing day that flew by! I can't wait to see everything that we can accomplish tomorrow!

Team 4A (Team Kit Kat) signing the walking path

Welcome and Special Schedule

Hi everybody, and welcome to The Bair's Den! I am looking forward to having each of you in my class, and I hope you are just as excited as I am to be starting a new adventure at Bear Creek School!

Please check back here every day, and you will be able to find out a little bit more about our classroom, see some pictures, and find out more about what our days will be like in The Bair's Den!

All of our specials will be held from 11:25 - 12:10. Each day I will update our homework page and the community portal to remind you which special we will have the following day so you can help your child remember their sneakers, recorders or library books if needed.

• Day 1 ~ Phys Ed (students should always wear sneakers for PE)
• Day 2 ~ Library
• Day 3 ~ Music
• Day 4 ~ Health (students should always wear sneakers for Health)
• Day 5 ~ Art
• Day 6 ~ Art

New this year is a double art class. Students in the Bair's Den will have art on Days 5 and 6 during the first and second marking periods. Then we will have technology on days 5 and 6 during the third and fourth marking periods. 

I'm hoping that all of you will be able to come and join me on Thursday, August 21 from 8:30 - 10 AM for our Open House. Come and see the school, visit the classroom, make your name tag, pick your first book, and meet some new friends.

I cannot wait for our new year together to begin!

A Sneak Peek at the Bair's Den!

Hello new 4th graders!! At the end of 3rd grade, you had a tour of Bear Creek, and you may have even attended one of the orientation tours here at Bear Creek this summer. But you may still be wondering, "What's it REALLY like to be a  fourth grader in the Bair's Den?" Well, the students who were in my class in the past have some answers for you! Check out the video below to get the scoop!

We hope you enjoyed the video! If you have any questions, please leave comments, and I will answer them for you!