Author Alert!

Calling all "I Survived....fans!"  Lauren Tarshis and other very  popular authors are coming to An Unlikely Story, in Plainville in the next two months.  Check it out!  Click HERE for a link to the store's calendar with links to register for the events, many are free!

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An Unlikely Newsletter August 30th, 2019

It's an evening full of wonder! R.J. Palacio, the author of the New York Times bestseller WONDER is introducing her new graphic novel WHITE BIRD. She'll be in conversation with our own Jeff Kinney on Friday, October 4 at 6:30pm. After their conversation, R.J. will answer audience questions and sign copies of her books. Tickets will go on sale Friday, September 6th at 5pm. Tickets are $26.56 and include one (1) copy of WHITE BIRD and admission for two (2). For more information about this event, visit our website. In This Newsletter Upcoming Adult Events » Upcoming Children's Events » Bookseller Recommendations » Exclusive Pre-order Incentives » Back to School Gift Items » Seasonal Help Wanted » New Releases » Upcoming Adult Events Sondra Celli Sunday, September 15th at 2pm Designer and star of the TLC reality show MY BIG FAT AMERICAN GYPSY WEDDING Sondra Celli is bringing some sparkle to An Unlikely Story! Sondra will discuss her book, BLING!, dressmaking, and all things glam. She will also be showing off one of her glitzy fantastical dresses and other blinged-out items at the event. Register here for this free event. Lisa Unger Wednesday, September 18th at 7pm Come inside...if you dare! Thriller author Lisa Unger will be talking about her new book, THE STRANGER INSIDE with investigative reporter and author of THE MURDER LIST, Hank Phillippi Ryan. THE STRANGER INSIDE dives into the minds of a victim and of a killer, combining a rich depth of character and plenty of heart-racing tension. A Q&A and book signing will follow Lisa and Hank's discussion. Register here for this free event.  Peter Zheutlin Thursday, September 19th at 7pm Buckle up for a cross-country ride with Peter Zheutlin. Inspired by John Steinbeck's TRAVELS WITH CHARLEY, Peter's new book, THE DOG WENT OVER THE MOUNTAIN, follows his cross-country journey with his aging rescue dog, Albie. Peter will give a slideshow presentation about his journey, answer audience questions, and sign copies. Register here for this free event. Paul Napper & Anthony Rao Tuesday, October 8th at 7pm Psychology experts Paul Napper and Anthony Rao are helping people to take control of their lives with their book, THE POWER OF AGENCY. They'll put their book into action with a book discussion and workshop to help participants build their own personal agency. They will be joined by nonfiction writer Maureen Stanton, author of BODY LEAPING BACKWARD. A Q&A and book signing will follow. Register here for this free event. Horror Writers Panel Thursday, October 17th at 7pm For Halloween, we have a whole line-up of authors with spooky tales to chill your bones. For this year's Halloween Horror panel, we welcome Jennifer McMahon, Christopher Golden, Errick Nunnelly, and our very own William D. Carl. Each author will discuss their books and share creepy stories guaranteed to keep you up at night! A Q&A and book signing will follow. Beer and wine will be available for purchase. Register here for this free event. Whitney Scharer Tuesday, October 22nd at 7pm In her stunning debut novel, THE AGE OF LIGHT, Whitney Scharer novelizes the true account of photographer Lee Miller in the alternating timelines of 1930s Paris and the battlefields of WWII. To celebrate the paperback release of THE AGE OF LIGHT, Whitney will give a presentation about her richly-researched novel, answer audience questions, and sign copies of her book. Beer and wine will be available for purchase. Register here for this free event. More Unlikely Events » Upcoming Children's Events Crazy Aaron's Putty Party Saturday, September 7th at 11am, 2pm, and 3pm We're pairing with Crazy Aaron's sidekick and putty expert, Kyle, for a putty-tastic day where participants will have the chance to make their own Thinking Putty, play putty games, and win prizes in a putty trivia contest! The cost of the event is $5 and includes admission, a custom putty, and a $5 coupon toward Crazy Aaron products in the store priced over $10. Recommended for Crazy Thinkers ages 6+. Click here to register your child for the 11am, 2pm, or 3pm time slot. Brad Meltzer Wednesday, September 11th at 6pm Author Brad Meltzer is showing kids that every person is capable of greatness! Brad will be at An Unlikely Story to talk about the two newest books in his Ordinary People Change the World Series, I AM MARIE CURIE and I AM WALT DISNEY and sign copies of his books. Register here for this free event. Robin Riding Storytime Saturday, September 14th at 11am Get some Zs under the sea with Robin Riding! At this special story time, Robin will sing along to her picture book MERMAIDS FAST ASLEEP and help attendees to create mermaid puppets. Then, all the children and their puppets will perform a group puppet show with Mona the mermaid marionette and "swim" along to the music! Register here for this free event. Susan Verde Friday, September 20th at 4:30pm We love author Susan Verde! And she's showing us what love is all about with her new picture book I AM LOVE, the fourth installment in the I AM series! I AM LOVE is a celebration of love and connection, so come connect at an event that young readers and parents will love! Susan will read her book followed by a Q&A and book signing. Register here for this free event.  Dusti Bowling Saturday, September 21st at 2pm Get ready for a momentous event! Author Dusti Bowling will be talking about her new middle grade book, MOMENTOUS EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF A CACTUS, the follow-up to INSIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF A CACTUS. The book continues the story of armless teenager Aven Green as she faces the new challenges of high school. At the event, Dusti will talk about her book, followed by a Q&A and a signing. Register here for this free event. Tomie dePaola Signing Sunday, September 22nd at 10am Legendary author and illustrator Tomie dePaola is signing his books on the Second Story of An Unlikely Story. From his newest book WHEN EVERYONE WAS FAST ASLEEP to the Caldecott Honor-winning children's classic STREGA NONA, his books continue to inspire wonder, and a signed copy is the perfect way to hold onto that joy. Admission is $5 for adults and for children ages 5+. Admission includes a $5 coupon for Tomie's books in store on the day of the event. Register for the signing line here! Jessica Kensky, Patrick Downes, and Scott Magoon Sunday, September 22nd at 2pm Authors Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes, illustrator Scott Magoon, and service dog Rescue, are coming back to An Unlikely Story! Jessica, Patrick, and Scott will talk about their Schneider Family Book Award Winner, RESCUE & JESSICA, which tells the story of how Rescue helped Jessica and Patrick heal after the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013. Following the presentation there will be a Q&A and signing. Register for this free event here. Lauren Tarshis Tuesday, September 24th at 6:30pm Would you have survived some of history's greatest disasters? Find out at an event with Lauren Tarshis, the author of the bestselling I SURVIVED series! Lauren will talk about her newest book, I SURVIVED THE GREAT MOLASSES FLOOD, answer audience questions, and sign copies of her books. Register here for this free event. Hilary Emerson Lay & Marion Abram Saturday, October 12th at 2pm Art educators Hilary Emerson Lay and Marion Abrams are helping kids find a spark of creativity! In their new book ART SPARKS, Hilary and Marion talk about how art can promote self-expression and imagination. At the event, the authors will guide attendees through one of the many crafts in ART SPARKS and talk with parents and guardians about how crafting can benefit their children. Register here for this free event! Rob Buyea Monday, October 14th at 3pm It's a perfect event! Author of THE PERFECT SCOREand BECAUSE OF MR. TERUPT, Rob Buyea, is introducing THE PERFECT STAR, the third book in the PERFECT SCORE series. At the event, Rob will talk about his new book, answer audience questions, and sign copies of his books. Register here for this free event! Carson Ellis Saturday October 19th at 2pm The winter solstice is early this year! Carson Ellis, illustrator of the bestselling WILDWOOD series and the Caldecott Honor book DU IZ TAK?, is introducing her new picture book, THE SHORTEST DAY. At the event, Carson will read from THE SHORTEST DAY and do a drawing demonstration. After the presentation, Carson will answer audience questions and sign copies of her books. Register here for this free event! Megan McDonald Sunday, October 20th at 2pm Beloved children's book author Megan McDonald, creator of the wildly popular Judy Moody series, the Stink books, and The Sisters Club trilogy, is coming to An Unlikely Story for the newest Judy Moody book, BOOK QUIZ WHIZ! At the event, Megan will give a presentation, answer audience questions, and sign books. Registration information to come. For more information about this event, visit our website.

T-Shirts of the Day

Kind Heart, Fierce Mind, Brave Spirit

Our First Week In Review

Our first week of fourth grade was TERRIFIC!  We spent most of our week establishing our classroom community.  We want our learning space to be a place where we can all succeed  and feel safe!  We explored our new classroom, and we also learned some new things about each other, even about those friends we have known for a long time! 

We worked on a few collaborative challenges to get practice working together with our new classmates.  Students loved these activities, especially 'Save Fred'. This was the "high" of the week for many students. Your child can share more about this.

On Thursday, we got together with ALL of the fourth graders, and we met the other fourth grade teachers.  We learned about Creative Arts Fridays, and talked about our weekly morning meeting with fourth grade. Our first fourth grade meeting will be Tuesday morning.  Your child can tell you more about both of these. 

In the next week, we will create a list of classroom rules together, and then sign that we agree to follow them.  We also will continue to establish our routines in the classroom, while beginning to focus on academics.  We will start learning about Place Value (our first math unit) on Wednesday, and will practice our Math Workshop while learning about this topic. We will work on our Reader's Workshop routines as well, while also exploring our classroom library.  During Writer's Workshop, we will focus on writing about our Hopes, Dreams and Goals. Science and Social Studies will begin later in the month.

From the Teacher's Desk

Our class blog is written for students and families. At times, I may have a specific message for the parents/guardians.  Those messages are in this section "From the Teacher's Desk".  Look for "adult specific" information here.  Please note that tweets are posted throughout the day/week.  You can find our most recent tweets on the right sidebar, or by following our class @mertenladybugs .  

Our days begin with setting a positive intention for the day, and they end with each student sharing their best part of the day.  We wrap up our week with the students sharing their high and low of the week as well as their 'Bet You Didn't Know'.  Students enjoy this, and when our blog references the "high" of the week, this is when it is shared. 

National Parks Program:

   Once again, this year, the government has announced a program for fourth graders called "Every Kid in a Park".  This initiative is to encourage fourth graders to visit the National Parks FREE OF CHARGE!  All fourth graders in the 2019-2020 school year can receive a pass good for the year.  Information about this program can be found here.

Welcome to 4th Grade!

I am so excited to FINALLY meet you all tomorrow!  I know you may be nervous, but I hope you are also excited. I know I am.  Our room is ready, and I have chosen some really fun books to read with you tomorrow.  Check out your 4th grade teachers reading All Are Welcome, by Alexandra Penfold.

This week we will complete some activities to help us to get to know one another, and will learn a lot about fourth grade!  I am sure it will be wonderful!

We will go to health for our special tomorrow.  Our lunch is pretty late (1:10), so you probably want to have a good breakfast, and to bring a snack to school. We will snack around 10:15.  Remember your water bottle because it can get warm in the classroom this time of year.

I know our 4th grade experience will be fabulous, and I can't wait to get started! 

~ Mrs. Merten

Welcome to 4th Grade!

I am so excited to FINALLY meet you all tomorrow!  I know you may be nervous, but I hope you are also excited. I know I am.  Our room is ready, and I have chosen some really fun books to read with you tomorrow.  Check out your 4th grade teachers reading All Are Welcome, by Alexandra Penfold.

This week we will complete some activities to help us to get to know one another, and will learn a lot about fourth grade!  I am sure it will be wonderful!

We will go to health for our special tomorrow.  Our lunch is pretty late (1:10), so you probably want to have a good breakfast, and to bring a snack to school. We will snack around 10:15.  Remember your water bottle because it can get warm in the classroom this time of year.

I know our 4th grade experience will be fabulous, and I can't wait to get started! 

~ Mrs. Merten

Welcome Fourth Grade Students and Families!

Class placement letters will be mailed in the coming weeks, and you should learn shortly who your 4th grade teacher is! If you have already received your letter, you know that I (Mrs. Merten) will be your fourth grade teacher! I am so excited and  can't wait to meet you at the end of the month. (That's me in the black and white shirt, with Clementine author, Sara Pennypacker.)

I have posted a letter for you, and one for your family in the Important Documents gadget on the right.  Just click on those documents to learn more about 4th grade and our upcoming year.  If you have time,  scroll through our class blog to see what has been going on this summer, and to check out some of the fun that we had in room 24 last year.  Feel free to leave a comment on the blog, using the directions on the right.  Be sure to ask your parents before commenting.

The name of our blog is "Ladybugs on Learning". I hope you will find this page helpful for both parents and students.  If you are new to our blog, welcome!  If you are a returning guest, welcome back!  I'd like to share a few things with you, to guide you through using our blog.

• Comments are welcome on our blog ~  from families as well as from our students.  You can find some instructions on how to best comment in the sidebar to the right.  Please follow the instructions and comment away!  
• I have posted some links to important information to the right as well.  You will find summer letters to both parents and students, as well as the suggested supply list for incoming Fourth Graders.  You will also see our class handbook, which is currently being updated.
• With few exceptions,new updates are posted to our blog weekly (usually on Friday evenings or Saturday mornings).  These posts very often include curriculum updates and  pictures or videos of our week.  Depending on the week, new posts may include links(games, study guides, videos, etc.)  which could help students with homework or studying.  If you would like to follow our blog by email, there are two options.  You can enter your email in the "Follow by Email" gadget, or you can become a "Follower". Both of these options are in the section on the right.  
• In addition to blogging, our class has a twitter account (@mertenladybugs).  This is a way to stay connected "in the moment" to our classroom.  You will find our tweets embedded in our blog on the right.  If you would like to follow our class on twitter, our handle is @mertenladybugs .
• If you or other members of your family speak a different language, I've included a translator gadget to the right.  This will help  families from around the world to keep updated with your child's school activities.

I know some of you are anxious about starting a new class with a new teacher. If you don't know me, my name is Mrs. Merten!  I have a link at the top entitled "Meet Mrs. Merten".  If you visit that link, you will learn a little about me and my family.

Below are a few pictures of our classroom.  I hope you enjoy seeing where you will be learning this year! I am looking forward to meeting you!

Advice from former 4th graders

Look carefully at the door.  You will see our classroom is located right off the gym!  You should know just how to get here :)!