Sunday, November 25, 2012

Week of November 26th

Hi Families! Hope you had an enjoyable Thanksgiving! I have had a wonderful time with my family and extended family.  Here is a look at this week's agenda:

Math - Division.   We will continue to review multiplication and previously learned concepts.

Reading - Owls in the Family.....We will finish this novel and continue to check for literal and inferential comprehension.  We will also begin a new leveled novel. This novel is due December 18th.

English - Subject/Predicate, Parts of Speech review

Spelling - Owls in the Family Vocabulary   Look under Owl words on spelling city.com.  We will do enriched spelling again next week.

Science - Owl research......We will be using individual I-Pads this week to do our research!

Social Studies - Northeast Posters

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Reading - Owls in the Family, We will be working on literal and inferential comprehension as well as predicting and visualizing. 

Math - Estimating Products

Science - Owls!!

Social Studies - Colonies, Thanksgiving

No spelling or English

The children have all earned their way on the AR Mountain!! This means they have ALL met the 1st reading goal I set for them! I told them we would celebrate when that happened!  We will be having a turtle themed afternoon on Tuesday in honor of Dribble, the turtle pet of Peter in Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing (the first book I read them).  We will be learning about turtles, getting a turtle prize and watching A Turtle's Tale movie.  I will provide animal crackers and juice, but if anyone wants to send in an extra snack to share, that would be great!!  I am super proud of all the reading they have been doing both at home and at school! Many of the children have told me they have more AR points at this point in the school year than they did their whole 3rd grade year!! I'm so proud of their growth!!

We are in charge of Grizzly Growl in the morning!  Please have your child here before 8 and tell them to meet on the stage.  Thanks!!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and God Bless You!!

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Hi Famiies! Here is the agenda for this week:

Reading - The children should be done with their fantasies and will be working on a setting project in response to their stories.

Science/Language Arts - We will begin our Owl unit this week! We will be reading Owls in the Family by Farley Mowatt.  It is a delightful tale about a boy who adopts 2 baby owls.  It is based on a true story.  Not only is the book entertaining, but it teaches a lot of facts about owls and nature.  The children will have a comprehension check after each chapter. We will practice the skills of predicting, visualizing, and inferring, as well as defining the story elements. 

English - Prepositions and Possessives

Spelling - List 18, 18.5 is the enriched list

Social Studies - We will be working on Northeast Region Posters.  The children should come home with notes on the American Revolution.  They have a test on Friday. 

Math - Large Number Multiplication

I was gone for 3 days last week with sick children.  We will be playing catch up this week.  :)

We have some important events coming up in December that I need your help with. I am trying to give advanced notice for working parents and parents with small children at home just in case you might can help.

On Wednesday, December 12, we will be making Gingerbread Houses.  I will be sending home a letter the first week of December requesting supplies.  I need some parent volunteers to help set up and clean up in the cafeteria that day.  We will be making them at 1:30.  I need parents to come around 1:15.  If you can help, please fill out the form that will be going home on Tuesday.

Our Polar PJ Day will either by Wednesday, December 19th or Thursday, December 20th. (It depends on when the Christmas Party is. Thursday is my first choice, but if the Christmas Party is that day like it has been in the past, then we will have it on Wednesday.)  We will begin with learning/craft stations at 11:30 and start the movie, Polar Express around 1:00.  I will be serving hot cocoa and s'mores at movie time.  I need parent volunteers to help run the learning stations, and then to help with hot cocoa and s'mores. If you can help with this day, please sign the form that will be going home on Tuesday. 

Thanks in advance for all that can help!!

I wanted to ask if your child can bring a set of watercolor paints.  My paints have been used by over 100 children in the past 5 years and they are getting depleted in certain colors.  It would help tremendously for future art projects, particularly one coming up this Friday, if each child had their very own set.  I know this is short notice, sorry.  The best sets are made by Prang or Crayola.  You can find them at Walmart, KMart, or Staples.  Those that cannot bring one, can still use my older sets of course.  I just thought the children would enjoy having a brand new one for themselves.

Quote for the week: When you play, play hard; when you work, don't play at all. Theodore Roosevelt

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Week of November 5th

Hello Families!! It is a beautiful day! Love this weather! Hope you have enjoyed your weekend! Here is a look at the coming week:

Math - Large number multiplication

Reading - The children will continue to read their leveled Roald Dahl fantasies. They have really enjoyed this genre! They actually moan when it is time to quit reading! Music to my ears!!! Ha!  The skill of the week is main idea.  We will go over  sequencing again though, because they really have struggled with picking out the order in stories that use flashback.

Spelling - List 17 spellings of  "o" Enriched list "H"

English - Prepositions

Social Studies - Ellis Island, American Revolution

We will do science again in a couple of weeks when we begin our owl unit! Our owl unit will be a lot of fun! The kids and I are looking forward to it!