Next week…January 30-February 3

I hope you have an enjoyable weekend! I am looking ahead to next week and wanted to let you know what is to come:

Reading: We will be reading the story One Land Two Hearts in class and at home. We have talked about reading and rereading and the value that rereading brings. Please encourage your child to reread this story at home. Even when they tell you “I already read it in class”! This will allow them to learn more as they find little bits of information that they did not see during previous reading. We will be working on learning the vocabulary and comprehension as well.

Science: We will continue our study on matter. This week we will practice measuring matter. We will learn about length, mass, density, and volume. Please involve your children in conversations that use that vocabulary in your real life. Cooking, remodeling, building may all involve using this terms. (Not many of us are building during this time, but if you are share the experience with your children.)

Social Studies: The French and Indian war will be introduced. Remind children that studying notes nightly when new terms come around is a very valuable strategy.

Writing: Similes and metaphors will be introduced, used, and written in the next week. Don’t worry a study guide will come home to remind you of which one is which!

Math: In math this week we will have a test on Data and Probability. We have been working on creating, reading, and evaluating line plots and graphs in class. The study guides have been completed and checked in class for correctness. Please help your child to study. The test will be on Tuesday and Wednesday. This is a long test so we have decided to break it into two days.

Thank you for returning your report card envelopes and signed slips to class. I greatly appreciate your quickness. I will be asking you to stamp them next quarter. (Just looking ahead!) Thank you also for the items for the science mixtures. We will be having a nice snack. A “mixture” of Cherrios, chocolate chips (white & chocolate), raisins, pretzels, Chex Mix. We will also enjoy a “solution” of cool-aid type drinks. Lastly, I will send home a class list for Valentiine’s Day. We are up to 23 students. Please remember to have your child make a Valentine for each child in class.

Have a wonderful family weekend!

Thank You

I wanted to thank you all for your compassion regarding my mistake on the report cards. If you would like a reprint of this quarters report cards please let me know. Otherwise, you will see the correction in the next report card, as well as the correct grade that I sent you earlier this week. I greatly appreciate your questions and concerns and am so sorry for the error.

In science this week we are learning about matter. We have been doing small hands-on investigations this week to make the new vocabulary real to us. We are experiencing the matter and how to measure its mass. In addition, we will also be doing mixture and solution. I would love to make a mixture in class. I was thinking a box of Chex cereal, a bag of pretzels, a bag of raisins, PLAIN m&m’s, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, Cheerios, etc. Any of these types of items will help us to make a fun mixture that we can then consume! If you have any of these things lying around the house that you would like to send in, I would greatly appreciate it. I would also love powdered drink mixes. Again, there is no need to go buy things. I will purchase the items needed. We will do the investigations on solutions and mixtures on Thursday. I know this is short notice…but thank you for helping!

Oh My!

Again, the time is getting away from me. The good news is I am spending my time working on and with your children. I am very sorry that I have been neglecting you though!

Okay, as you can see from the papers coming home this week we are working on reading comprehension. The great thing I have noticed is that your children do understand and comprehend the materials they are reading and that are read aloud to them. The challenge is they are not always sure to how to show that they know. Sometimes, students are not working up to their full potential because the text is uninteresting too. So we are working in class to decipher the questions, so the children know how best to answer the question. We are also working on how to best answer a question we are unsure of. In addition to all of that we discussing the importance of doing our best even when we do not like what we are doing! As you may notice, when working on reading and comprehension I try to temper “testing” with real reading. We read in class often and discuss the books we are reading while building vocabulary. When we read books we read for enjoyment or to gather information. In class we are doing the same, as well as building students ability to think logically and answer questions efficiently to show what they know. As we are working through these comprehension activities at school we will do some of the work together and other work will be independent. Please let me know if you have any questions. Working on Study Island at home can be very helpful for the children.

As report cards come home in about a week, I will identify any specific challenges that your child might be having and a plan that we have to help them through it. As always, I am here if you have any questions or concerns.

Pajama

Pajama day is tomorrow and we are all very excited!

Feel free to have the children wear their pjs to school. Sweats are also a good alternative too.The children are allowed to bring slippers to change into to. I told them flip flops are allowed if they do not have slippers but want something to change into. This is what I will probably be wearing! If you have any questions please let me know!

Wow!

I am so sorry it has been so long since my last update. This month has flown by. We are working hard on so many different areas in fourth grade.

Writing: We have spent a great deal of time expanding our writing abilities. So many of us are developing in really neat ways. When looking at your fourth graders writing, look for the improvement in expanded vocabulary, topic sentence creativity, concluding sentences, and overall voice. I am looking for this improvement to follow all writing purposes. That means writing should improve in science, social studies, and math as well. Be sure to enjoy the two writings that are coming home next week in a very special form…I won’t ruin the surprise though!

Science: In science we have continued our study on weather. The children have shown great understanding of the water cycle and clouds. Please ask your child thinking questions when studying for the cloud test/quiz next week. Thinking questions go beyond the knowledge piece that the children are showing they know very well. This is an example…What kind of weather might you see from a cumulus cloud in the afternoon? What kind of weather do cirrus clouds produce? What is in a cirrus cloud in the summer? (Water droplets or ice crystals should be the only answer given but ice crystals is correct. The reason it is correct is, cirrus clouds are so high in the atmosphere that it is always at freezing or below 32 degrees.)  Always ask why!

Math: The students, overall, are understanding and have at least one good strategy to solve addition and subtraction. The greatest challenge is their knowledge of facts. Please continue this simple fact practice at least once a week. It is also very important for them to follow thru all the steps with in whichever process they choose.  They know how to do the algorithms but sometimes lack the stamina to follow thru the process or they are being careless. Either way practice is the best way to alleviate this challenge.

Reading: In class we have new books in our reading groups. Over the holiday break feel free to have the children read and enjoy those books. We will however, be reading those books extensively in class. These are very interesting books and have a multitude of vocabulary, characters, and themes that need to be reviewed. The added bonus to these books is they can be reported on for the book club.

Lastly, I would like you to know of some fun activities that are upcoming next week.

Please feel free to send in yummy snacks this week too. Not that veggies aren’t yummy, but unhealthy snacks are allowed this week!

Tuesday is pajama day. Please send your children to school in pajamas that are school appropriate fuzzy fun!

Lastly we will be doing a variety of fun activities. We do not need any supplies, but I would love to know if anyone will be missing Wednesday. This will just allow me to make sure each child gets all of their very cool creations before the holiday break.

 

This week…

Language Arts: This is a great time of year to talk to your children, actually everyday is a great time to talk to your children, but right now our children have some pretty interesting ideas. For example, have you been good this year? Do you think Santa will get you that big thing on your list? Persuade me! Right now in class we are writing persuasive essays. Please talk to your child about persuading you about something fun.

Science: In science we are still talking about weather. Please work with your child to study their water cycle study guide each night. In addition to that, we are doing a reader’s theatre that is about the water cycle.Please read the Reader’s theatre each night this week.

Social Studies: We are moving into the prehistoric era. Please study your notes each night. In addition to notes, we are also doing a homework assignment that will ensure the students are studying so they are able to do well on their weekly tests. The assignment will be a grammar grade as well. Please help your child to complete their work.

I hope you all had a fabulous holiday. I know these few weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas are busy for us all. They are times that we cherish as we try to build lasting memories for our children. To respect this time,  we will work hard to not give your child lots of homework. However, please work hard to help them complete their work and be as prepared for school as possible.

 

Math Papers

Hi all! I am sending home math papers today that I would like you to pay attention to. They are quite simply timed multiplication facts that we did in class, The challenge is they were not as easy as they should have been for most of your children. If your child is still making errors with 3s or 4s please begin having them do fact cards, worksheets, or online practice each night for fifteen minutes. If their errors are in 6s, 7s, 8s or 9s, please have them work for five to ten minutes each night. These are problems that should be immediate for them at this point. The even bigger issue is that knowing these “basic facts” gives them the basis for the other more challenging math we are now doing in class. I gave this paper to the children today to help them understand that they are not finished in this basic fact knowledge. Please, please, please continue practicing at home. If your child made no errors and finished all or almost all of the paper please begin “basic division” facts….they are coming next!

What are you thankful for?

It is that time of the year when we slow down to think about what we are truly thankful for…I am always most thankful for healthy children. There is nothing more challenging than having a child that is ill. I am extremely thankful for small illnesses to remind us how wonderful it is to have children that are not tied down to daily medicines, machines, or fears of what today might bring. I am also thankful for family and how wonderful it is to have been blessed with unconditional love. Even when some of that dear family has left this earth, it reminds us of how lucky were are to have felt such love. We are making a “game” to play over Thanksgiving with your family or friends that might be visiting over the holidays. Please remember to share how thankful you are to have your fabulous children. They are healthy, smart, kind, quick witted, thoughtful, entertaining, and so very talented. I know I do not need to remind you to be thankful for these little people, but sometimes we do not let them in on how thankful we really are!

Help!

We are making turkeys in fourth grade. There is a great deal of preparation to making this cute little gobblers. If you have any extra time that you would like to give this week we would greatly appreciate it! Just come in and we will put you to work. If you reply and let me know you are coming that would be great!

November 7-11

Last week was another exciting week in fourth grade. We put out the Beakin’ Cardinal newspaper. This is not the first Woodland student newspaper. It is a revival of a newspaper that out own Mrs. Milford started many years ago. I hope you enjoyed the student written articles! More issues of the Beakin’ Cardinal will be coming your way, so keep watching for those Cardinals!

This week in school, we will continue our study of weather. Please continue to study your vocabulary each night. Knowing these words well will help with our scientific explanations this week.

Please remember to vote on Tuesday. But please to do come to school.

Lastly, I would like to thank everyone for your many donations. You have been very generous with bags, bottles, auction goodies, and goodies for our Halloween Party. You are all so kind and I greatly appreciate your giving!
S