Correction

Social Studies Test

As many of you have noticed, number four on the Social Studies test may have been counted wrong.  After checking with the study guide, the answer that your child chose may have been marked as incorrect.  After reviewing with the book, the test actually has two correct answers.  The Missourians were NOT farmers (choice A), and the Missourians used all of the buffalo (choice C).  Since both are correct, students will receive one point to their grade, and their scores will be adjusted.  Sorry for the confusion.  I will be more careful in the future.    

Learning in a Winter Wonderland!

Learning in a Winter Wonderland!

This is our last week before our two week Christmas Break.  The students have been hard at work during indoor recess time to decorate our room.  It looks awesome!  But, never the less, we still have things that we need to learn.  

This week in Math, we will continue working with division.  This is difficult for some students, but practice makes perfect.  This week, will include division, with a zero in the quotient.  This can be a challenge for some students.  I always remind them to be patient.  After practice, the idea will come.  We will have a test on Thursday, but there will not be a review day.  We wanted to test before the break, so we will try to review as much as we can in class.  I will suggest some problems for the students who seem to struggle with the concept.  

In Social Studies, students will review again today, and test on Tuesday.  Instead of starting a new unit with only three days, we will use that time for extra Math practice, and catch up on poetry.

In English Language Arts, students will continue with their poetry work.  There are some real poets in here!  We will work on a Haiku, 5W's, and an Acrostic Alliteration.  These should all be fun!  On Thursday, students will share their poetry with one another, and their favorite poem to the class.  I will also ask them to take their books home one evening to share with you.  You will need to be a critic for them.  I would love to display these in the hall, so please be sure that they come back!

In Reading, we will finish with The Best Christmas Pageant Ever on Tuesday.  We will discuss the theme of the story and quiz over the book.  On Wednesday, we will watch the movie and do a book to movie comparison.  These are always fun!  On Thursday's PJ day, we will compare A Christmas Carol to the Jim Carey version of the movie, while we enjoy Hot Chocolate.  What a fun way to compare two very different things!  

In Spelling, we will test on Wednesday.

As a reminder, we will visit our Holiday Shopping Mart on Tuesday during Library time.  

This week, to get us into the Holiday spirit, students will have the following dress up days to participate in: Tuesday: Christmas Shirts or Sweaters with VISIBLE Holiday Socks

Wednesday: Red and White Attire (Candy Cane Day)

Thursday: PJ Day!  (We will get hot chocolate in the afternoon)

Friday: Wear Red and Green

On Thursday, students will receive their gifts from me, and I will open any gifts that I may receive. (Friday is pretty busy, and I want to make sure to give special attention to anything I may receive.)

 

On Friday, we will have our Character Assembly from 8:30- 9:30, our parties from 9:30- 10:30, and we will dismiss at noon for our Holiday Break, returning January 6.   

 

I want to wish everyone a very merry Christmas with family and friends.  I love this magical time of year!  Thank you for the opportunity to work with your child!

  

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

Two Weeks Left...

Good morning!  I am glad all students made it here safe and sound.  I know it is always a tough call when the weather gets like this, so I am glad everyone used caution while driving here this morning.

Another busy week ahead for us, so here it is:

In Math, we will review for our test that is on Tuesday.  For this test, the biggest obstacle is the 2 digit multiplication.  When the students get it- they get it!  Until then, practice makes perfect!  Keep them practicing at home.  A method that we have used is the "turtlehead" method.  You may youtube the video if your child seems to be struggling at home.  On Wednesday, we begin our division patterns.  We will continue with exploring dividing, and end the week dividing by one digit numbers.  

We make our switch for the next two weeks to Social Studies.  We only have four weeks (January 10) until the end of our quarter, so hopefully the students buckle down, and perform well on their assignments and tests.  The unit we start with this week discusses Native American tribes that inhabited early Missouri.  

In Spelling, students have a new list going home today.  On Tuesday, students will review compound words, and their meanings.  We will also study suffixes, irregular verbs, and consonant blends.  We will prepare for a test Wednesday next week. 

 In Reading, we begin reading the book The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.  This is a classic Christmas tale that I remember reading when I was younger.  The story starts off with a family full of misbehaving children, who decide to join the Christmas Pageant.  The story develops as the children begin to change before the community's eyes.  At the beginning, the story has some harsh vocab to describe the crazy Herdman family.  It is all to show the strong change they make throughout the story.  With this story, students will be focusing on theme.  Each day, students will chose a different response to think about the reading for the day.  They will respond from a list of 20 choices in their Reader's Notebook each day.  

In English Language Arts, we will finish our Christmas research papers.  Some are turning out really well!  For fourth graders, I am amazed at what they can accomplish with technology.  I have learned a few things!  We will then move onto figurative language, such as similes, metaphors, and alliterations.  We will use the story Polar Express to exhibit the use of figurative language to make a powerful picture in a reader's head.  Students will then begin a short poetry writing unit with the subject of winter.  Hopefully these turn out fabulous!  

Have a great week! 

Welcome Back!

It is Christmas Time!

I hope that everyone enjoyed their long holiday weekend.  It was definitely needed at our house!  

This week, we will be doing our NWEA tests.  We will test on Monday from 1:50- 2:50, Tuesday at 9:20, Wednesday at 1:50, and Thursday at 1:50 is a make-up day.  If you could please try to make sure that your child is here on those days, at those times, it helps to make testing more accurate, and less stressful.  Thank you!

In Math this week, students will look at patterns if multiplication, multiplying by multiples, multiplying by two-digit numbers, and multi-step problems.  Again, fact practice will be key in understanding these concepts.  Thank you for continuing to help your child be successful with these!

In Science, we will study electricity and magnetism, and investigate it.  On Wednesday, students will complete a review for our test on Friday.  We will do an in-class review on Thursday.  Again, a test will be on Friday.  

In Reading, students will learn to identify theme across cultures.  We will use an Indian tale called Munna's Grain of Rice to practice determining theme.  Students will then read an adapted classic, A Christmas Carol.  Students will work to determine the theme by identifying the problem and solution.  Theme is really the main idea of the text.  We will then take it a step farther to find the "universal theme", which is the topic- a more broad idea of the text.  This helps readers look at the theme across cultures.  The two stories we will be studying have a universal theme of "greed".  

In English Language Arts, students will learn to take notes using Double Column note taking.  They will then use this skill to complete a short research project on how Christmas is celebrated in different countries.  All of the sources they will need are provided, they will simply locate the information, record their notes, and type the information into a the paragraph paper.  It should be fun!

Thank you again for all of you support and help during the expository papers and presentations.  We couldn't have done it without you!

As a quick reminder, when we have a "snow" day, we resume the day missed when we return.  For example, if we missed a Day  (PE special), when we return, that is the special day that we have.  Hopefully we wait a while before having any more!