Weekly Update

Math 
This week we learned long division, and the students are doing awesome!  Check out Division Man below.  He helps us to remember the steps in long division.  We will continue long division next week.

Reading
We have started book clubs!  Students meet on Wednesdays and Fridays.  As a reminder, students will be responsible for reading an agreed upon number of chapters outside of book club time.  During book clubs, students will use the assigned role sheets (i.e. predictor, connector, summarizer, clarifier, characterizer, and discussion director) to guide them in having a conservation about the chapters' events and characters.  These book club role sheets must be completed outside of the book club meeting time along with reading the assigned chapters, so that all students are prepared.  So far they are doing great, and we are having some awesome discussions!  Below are pictures of the students finding out more about their books with the prereading book activity on Wednesday.

Writing/Spelling
We have started our informational unit.  We "began with the end in mind" by looking at many different published information book examples together.  We also chose our topic (either on a social studies or science topic), and began to outline and make a plan for researching.  We will get into researching our topic next week!  In Spelling, students received their new word sorts.  

Social Studies

This week we finished Chapter 5.  We learned about pioneer life, Missouri becoming a state, the Missouri Compromise, the Oregon Trail, and many other important events in St. Louis's history!  Our combined test over Chapters 4 and 5 will be next Tuesday, February 4th.  Students have their flashcards, study guide, Quizlet and the Moodle to help them in studying.


Technology
Yes, I have a technology section in this Weekly Update!  Fourth grade teachers have decided to team up with Mr. Reichert for our Famous Missourian project.  In technology class this week, students were assigned their Famous Missourian to research!  We will transfer what we have learned about research in our writing unit to find out who our Missourian is/was and what contributions they have made to our state or country.  We will also learn about their background information- such as their early childhood years, education, and family life.  Students will present these projects with a PowerPoint presentation.  I can't wait to see how they turn out!  

Important Info.
The Friday Homework this week is the Standardized Math Test Prep Chapters 1-10.  

We are collecting soda can tabs to support a K-Kids fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House Charities.  The collection will run though April, and we will gladly take any soda tab tops that you are able to send to school!  We are also collecting Box Top$ for Education!  The school Box Tops contest ends Friday, February 7th!  The winning class will receive a popcorn party!  

Also, on Wednesday of next week we will be rewarded with Little Caesars Pizza for lunch from Dr. Parker for doing such a good job on our eValuate assessments each month  Keep up the great work, students!  :) 

Math- Extra Credit

Some of our Unit 4 math tests were not so hot due to careless mistakes.  To help students' grades, they can turn in the math extra credit that was listed on the study guide by this Friday to receive up to 10 extra credit points.  Those pages are page 230 (Chapter 10), page 247 (Chapter 11), page 264 (Chapter 12), and page 271 (Unit 4) in our textbook.  The link for our online textbook can be found at http://go.lindberghschools.ws/Page/8868.  For full credit, students need to complete all of these four pages- even problems only.  For partial credit, students can complete two of the pages listed above (evens only) for 5 points extra credit.  These math problems are to be worked out on loose leaf paper, and should be labeled with page number and problem number along with the student's name and "Extra Credit" at the top.  Again, this extra credit is due this Friday, 1/31.

As a reminder, all tests and quizzes that come home should be signed and returned.  Thank you!

Weekly Update

Math 
We have finished Unit 4 on multiplication.  Pat yourselves on the back, students!  Unit 5 deals with division.  For homework, students should study their division basic facts.  We will start with a review of division facts before moving on to long division.  

Reading
We have started our read aloud, No Talking, and we love it so far!  We reviewed questioning by talking about green, yellow, and red questions.  Ask your child how they can tell the difference between these three types of questions.  We have also discussed how book clubs will work, and we will choose our Andrew Clements books next week!  In book clubs, the students will be responsible for reading an agreed upon number of chapters outside of book club time.  During book clubs, students will use the assigned role sheets (i.e. predictor, connector, summarizer, clarifier, characterizer, and discussion director) to guide them in having a conservation about the chapters' events and characters.  These book club role sheets must be completed outside of the book club meeting time along with reading the assigned chapters, so that all students are prepared!  Book clubs will start by meeting twice a week, on Wednesdays and Fridays.  

Writing/Spelling
We are editing and publishing our persuasive essays, and we will be done with them this week!  Our next writing unit is an informational unit.  I am excited for students to research and add text features to this writing piece!  In Spelling, students took their test on Friday and will get their new word sorts this week.

Social Studies

This week we will start Chapter 5, "Becoming a State."  In this chapter we will learn about pioneer life, Missouri becoming a state, the Missouri Compromise, the Oregon Trail, and many other fun topics!  As a reminder, we will have a combined test over Chapters 4 and 5, so students should keep their Chapter 4 vocabulary words.  

Important Info.
The Friday Homework this week is an interesting nonfiction reading titled, "Is That a Boa or a Python?"  As a reminder, students have an end of book activity due at the end of this month, January 30th.  They need to finish their independent reading book, and then choose an activity to complete about the book.  

Also, we are collecting soda can tabs to support a K-Kids fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House Charities.  The collection will run though April, and we will gladly take any soda tab tops that you are able to send to school!  

Weekly Update

Math 
We are doing great with multiplication!  In addition to the turtlehead strategy, this week we reviewed the distributive property of multiplication.  Students can watch the video below to review this great strategy.  The Unit 4 Test over Chapters 10-12 will be Friday the 24th.  Students will receive the study guide on Tuesday, and we will review all next week.


  

Tyler and Lola solving multiplication problems to unscramble a hidden picture in the activity rotation

Macey and Gianna reviewing geometry in the games rotation

Reading
This week we finished our read aloud, Missing on Superstition Mountain.  Next week we will start our next read aloud, No Talking by Andrew Clements.  We will also start to prepare for our first book club, in which we will all be reading various Andrew Clements books.  We will go over the 6 different book club roles (i.e. predictor, summarizer, clarifier, connector, characterizer, and discussion director).  We will also go over questioning to make sure that we will have great discussions about our books.  In book clubs, the students will be responsible for reading an agreed upon number of chapters outside of book club time.  In book clubs, students will use the assigned role sheet to guide them in having a conservation about the chapters' events and characters.  Andrew Clements is a great author for 4th graders to explore, so I can't wait to start our first book club!

Writing/Spelling
We are really learning how to meet a deadline while writing our persuasive essays!  The students are doing a great job in taking what they have learned from our personal essays (such as word choice, structure, adding mini-stories, etc.) and applying it to their persuasive essays.   From looking at the students' graphic organizers, I can tell that these will be awesome and very persuasive essays.  Students thought about their intended audience while writing these essays, so don't be surprised if one lands in your hands!  One student is trying to persuade me to not assign homework... we'll see how convincing he is!  ; )   In Spelling, students have their test on Friday the 24th.  

Social Studies
This week students were excited to learn more about the Louisiana Territory and Lewis and Clark in Chapter 4!  We also reviewed circle and line graphs.  Our Chapter 4 vocabulary quiz will be Thursday the 23rd.  Students can practice the 12 vocabulary words using our online social studies textbook or Quizlet.  Our next social studies test will combine chapters 4 and 5 and will be decided at a later date.

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Important Info.
Long has decided to extend the PRISM entry form due date until Wednesday, so there is still time to sign up if your child hasn't already.  Remember, PRISM is optional in 4th grade, and required in 5th grade.  If you would like more information on PRISM, please visit http://go.lindberghschools.ws/Page/7598.  PRISM box order forms went home in yesterday's Flyer Folder for students who have already signed up.  

This week's Friday Homework is the Standardized Test Prep Chs. 1-9 (math).  However, many students decided to use their homework pass.  Instead of biweekly reading response letters (a.k.a. girls' and boys' letters), this semester the students will be completing an end of book activity each month.  Students have the description sheet that explains this monthly homework assignment.  After finishing an independent reading chapter book each month, students will choose on an activity to complete.  Below is the front of the description sheet (it looks yellow, but it is light blue).

Also, Scholastic Book Orders went home in Flyer Folders.  They are due Friday the 24th.  Click on the image below if you would like to order online.

Finally, I am very proud of our class spelling bee representatives!  They did a great job!  

As a reminder, there is no school on Monday for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  Enjoy the extended weekend!

Friday, January 10th

So this is not so much a Weekly Update as it is a daily update!  :)  We started off the day with reflecting on 2013 and making goals for 2014!  First, we "found someone who..." held a holiday party at their house, went to the movies, spent an entire day in their pajamas, and participated in other fun activities over our break!   It was a nice ice breaker.  Then, we made goal foldables with the numbers 2, 0, 1, and 4.  We thought of 2 things to accomplish this year, a habit or behavior to stop (0), 1 thing to improve upon, and 4 new things to learn this year.  Take a look at what we came up with below!

Math
Check out the turtle video that we watched today in Math!  It helps us to remember the steps in multiplying 2-digit by 2-digit numbers.  We will continue with this next week.  Also, some students realized that they need to brush up on their multiplication facts today!  



 
Reading
In Reading today we summarized the plot in our read aloud Missing on Superstition Mountain before we continued to read.  The students did a good job in remembering what had happened after three weeks!  In library today, we discussed the genre of fantasy.  We determined that fantasy is a popular genre, and that it is one of our favorites!  We made posters that contain slogans to advertise fantasy to students who visit the library.  See some of our posters below!  

Writing
Today we celebrated the realistic fiction pieces that we had written last quarter!  We listened to a crackling fire and got to read some of our classmates' stories.  In small groups, we nominated our classmates for awards for different things that they did well with in their stories.  Great job, students!  Check out the awards that students received below!

Important Info.
Students have a reading assignment for Friday Homework titled, "Caroline and the Castle."  This is due next Friday.  As previously mentioned, we will resume next week with spelling, social studies, and our advanced essays in writing. 

Many, many papers went home with students in their Flyer Folders today.  Among other notes, students brought home registration forms for many different activities and graded work.  As a reminder, students' writing rubrics now have to be signed and returned just like tests.   If there is no stamp, please sign somewhere on the writing rubric.  It is important to look through these notes with students this weekend.  

A few more reminders.  Don't forget that the spelling bee is next Friday the 17th.  There is a PRISM Q & A session for parents next Tuesday the 14th from 7-8 p.m.  PRISM booklets will go home with students who are participating on Monday.  Lastly, Wednesday the 15th is an early release day, so please make sure your child knows how they are getting home.                   

Weekly Update

Happy New Year!  

Here is the Weekly Update from our last week of school in 2013, December 16th-20th.

Math 
Some students were multiplying 1-digit by 2-digit multiplication problems before break, while others moved on to 2-digit by 2-digit.  After break, we will continue to multiply multi-digit numbers, as well as continue the timed multiplication quizzes for those who need to master their facts.  Make sure to keep an eye on our class blog to see the strategies that we will use to solve these problems!  

Reading 
In reading groups we read the rocks books with our rocks unit.  In other small groups, we read Reader's Theater plays about winter and presented them to the class!  We had a lot of fun!  

Writing 
Students finished their personal essays!  We will celebrate our writing when we return from break, and then we will move on to more advanced essay writing.  

Science/Social Studies
We had a fun week in Science!  As we finished our rocks unit, Mrs. Swenson came in to show us her awesome rock collection!  Plus, we got to take home our very own geode!  After break, we will start back up with Social Studies.  Chapter 4 is titled, "The Arrival of the Europeans."

Important Info.
There is no Friday Homework.  Students were sent home with an extra reading challenge activity that can be completed and brought to school for a special prize.  In Flyer Folders, students' papers went home to be signed and returned.  Each time we finish a writing project, students will bring it home to be reviewed, signed and returned- just like a test.  If there is no stamp, just sign somewhere on the rubric and return the rubric and writing.  Any graded work that wasn't passed out on Friday will go home on Tuesday.  On Friday, students received a Homework Pass!  They may use this on Friday Homework (math or reading) or the reading letters.  Of course, they may not be used on tests, projects, or any other big assignments.  ;) 

Don't forget!  If your child decides to participate in PRISM, entry forms are due Friday, January 10th. 

We have our classroom spelling bee winners!  Congratulations to Katherine and Dorothy for winning our classroom spelling bee!  An email with information about the school spelling bee will be sent to parents of the two winners and our class alternate, Hannah.  Great job, girls! 

Mrs. Maddock came in to give us a lesson on Random Acts of Kindness.  All students have a card to fill out when they have completed an act of kindness.  When their card is full, they turn it in to the office and are recognized in our hallway display.  Students who had finished assignments on Thursday and Friday, got to complete an act of kindness in class.  Check them out!  

Students wrote nice sayings and compliments on strips of paper that
other students could tear off and keep as a reminder.  They were a hit!

Last but not least, a special thank you goes out to Mrs. Giles and the parents who made our winter party a success!  Look at all the fun the students had!

We look forward to great things in 2014!