May 12, 2012

When I turned 40 many years ago, my husband had one of those huge signs planted in front of Riley announcing my big day. It was over 6 feet tall and showed a grandmother sitting in a rocking chair. Yes, we're still married, but I'm glad to report that Riley found a much more festive and appropriate way to celebrate its 40 years! We started the week with an all-school assembly and each child received a "Happy Birthday" balloon. On Tuesday, each class designed a huge birthday card for the school. The students in my class made mini cards with personal sentiments, and we attached those to our big card. Then on Wednesday, each class went on a treasure hunt for their individual goodie bags. And finally, on Thursday evening, our school was open to the community to showcase the exciting things going on at Riley. Many retired teachers and principals came back, as well as several former students and parents. The evening was a wonderful success, and I was thrilled to see so many families attending. If you were among them, I hope you had a chance to visit all of the classrooms. Riley has so much to be proud of. I was particularly proud of my fourth graders---their projects, highlighting what we've been working on, reflected a lot of effort and learning.

Unbelievably, we have just a few weeks left of school. I still have a lot of plans---we'll be working up to the last minute (well, maybe not EVERY minute), but please remind your child, as I have, that summer vacation isn't quite here yet. I will be making changes to our schedule to make sure we accomplish everything, so watch this spot and the Agendas for test dates and activities.

Academically...

Reading/Language Arts: We are skipping the story in Lesson 29, but working on spelling and skills. In spelling, our words have prefixes and suffixes so they are a bit challenging for the kids. The test will be E day (Wednesday, the 16th). We will continue our discussion of figurative language. Hopefully, you saw the impressive idiom illustrations outside our room on celebration night. We also will be working on our writing project. We'll start our last lesson in reading on Friday--the children will be doing plays. I will only test the vocabulary for Lesson 30 since students will be reading different plays.

Math: Unit 10 will wrap up on Monday and we'll take the test Wednesday. It was a short unit covering symmetry and an introduction to positive and negative numbers. Out next (and probably last unit) will cover weights and solid shapes.

Social Studies & Science: Metaphorically, we compared the three branches of government to a three-legged stool. We'll take the chapter 14 test on Tuesday. Students will be able to use all their notes. Next up, we'll discuss the Bill of Rights, but not before we finish exploring space.

Calendar Events...

Tuesday, May 15

· History Alive Test Chapter 14

Wednesday, May 16

· Spelling Test 29

· Unit 10 Math Test

Thursday, May 17

· Trucker Buddy Visit!

Tuesday, May 22

· Junior Achievement--We'll be learning about resources and starting a company!

Wednesday, May 23

· Discovery Science

· LAST Spelling Test (Lesson 30, a review)

Thursday, May 24

· Fun and Fitness Day--our fourth grade team color is Yellow! Remember to send water bottles! Also (here comes the mother in me), encourage your child to wear sun screen and a hat!

Friday, May 25

· No School--Teachers' Institute

Monday, May 28

· No School- Memorial Day

Tuesday, May 29

· Lesson 30 Robust Vocabulary Test

Friday, June 1

· 10:00 Awards Assembly

Monday, June 4

· 1:10 Variety Show

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms!

.

May 4, 2012

Our ABC countdown continues, and the end of the year keeps getting closer and closer. It's all happening so fast! During Discovery Science the children visited the star lab, and today's field trip was the "icing on the cake." Our Poetry Cafe Night was a wonderful success. I was so proud of the students from our class who participated!

Now we're gearing up for our birthday celebration--Riley is celebrating "40 Years of Learning." We'll be having an assembly Monday to kick off the week, and then during the week we'll be decorating a birthday card for our school, going on a treasure hunt for goodie bags, and designing our own hats for the celebration Thursday Night. Speaking of Thursday Night, I hope you've cleared your calendars for the big night. You can visit all the classrooms to see what our students have been up to, "schmooze" in the MPR, and check out a slide show of Riley then and now. Join us from 5:30-7:30.

Reading/Language Arts: Since we have so many special events coming up, there will be some changes in our schedule. For instance, since I didn't have time to introduce our new story yesterday or today, we'll start the lesson on Monday. We're going to read a tall tale and learn more about figurative language. I'll give the Weekly Test on Thursday (A Day) instead of Wednesday (our usual E Day). The spelling test, however, will still be D Day (Tuesday). For our writing project, we've been focusing on ways to improve our word choice. Introducing adverbs this week will help in this area, too.

Math: The students have been enjoying using the transparent mirror and learning about symmetry. We'll continue this next week and also explore positive and negative numbers.

Science: We're going to do some moon simulations next week to better understand the phases. If you are reading this before Saturday night, check out the "super moon" tomorrow night. The moon won't actually be bigger, but it will be closer--17,000 miles closer---so you may notice a difference.

Social Studies: Learning about the three branches of government and how they check and balance one another is our focus now. I challenged the kids to find out the names of our state senators and representatives in Congress as well as the names of the chief justices in the Supreme Court. How many names do you know?

I will be telling the kids when tests are in the coming weeks and making sure they write the dates in their Agendas, but here are some other dates coming up....

Thursday, May 10: Riley's 40th Celebration

Thursday, May 17: Tentative Trucker Buddy Day

Tuesday, May 22: Junior Achievement

Wednesday, May 23: Discovery Science--Students need Pringle Cans!

Thursday, May 24: Field Day

Friday, May 25: Institute Day--No School

Monday, May 28: No School

I don't know about you, but the faster the weeks go, the more tired I am on Friday nights. Have a good evening and super evening!

April 28, 2012

Whew! What a week...students survived several assessments, impressed everyone with their musical talents, enjoyed a toe-tapping performance by London's band, and capped it all off with shouts of "BINGO!" on Friday night. And all of these things were accomplished with smiles and enthusiasm (Okay, maybe not the tests)! I wouldn't be surprised, though, if there were some tired kids today (I know there was a tired teacher)!

Reading/Language Arts--We'll be reading a tall tale next and learning about figurative language. In grammar, we'll focus on contractions and abbreviations. We're also going to be starting a special writing project as soon as we wrap up our poetry unit. So much to do--so little time!

Math---Our last unit was a tricky one... there were so many new concepts to learn! A few students will need to review converting fractions to decimals and percents, as well as figuring out sale prices (ex. 1/4 off of $100.00 or 30% off of $200.00), so we'll practice more. Our next unit will cover symmetry, and then we'll move onto weights and solid shapes.

Science--Our overview of the solar system is complete and next week we'll be exploring the phases of the moon. Mrs. Ditthardt has started working with the children on their own ABC space books--you'll be very impressed! I know our field trip next Friday will complement our space unit, and the kids will surely enjoy it (see note below).

Social Studies---The war ended---now what?!!!! Just a little document called the Constitution! We'll also talk about the three branches of government.

Coming Up...

Tuesday, May 1 (Really--May already)!

· Spelling Lesson 27 Test

· Poetry Assembly and Playshop

Wednesday, May 2

· Weekly Reading Test 27

· Discovery Science

Thursday, May 3

· Poetry Cafe 6:30-7:30

Friday, May 4

· Field Trip to Cernan Space Center---Students should bring disposable lunches and beverages. We'll be leaving around 9:45 and returning by 2:30.

Don't forget! Riley's 40th Anniversary celebration will be Thursday Night, May 10. We have special activities planned for the whole week, but we'd love to see everyone that evening between 5:30 and 7:30.

I know the next few weeks will go by quickly----we certainly have a lot of special events coming up (is that a Wal-Mart truck I see making its way to Riley on the 17?) but it isn't over yet. Please remind your child to finish on a high note and not start celebrating summer too soon! it seems like the closer we get to vacation, the louder the kids get!

Enjoy your Sunday!

April 20, 2012

Do you rely on a paper calendar? A Smartphone? Post-Its stuck to every surface in the kitchen? The palm of your hand? Whatever your preference, get ready to make note of all of these upcoming events...

Tuesday, April 24

· Lesson 26 Spelling Test

· Open Book History Alive Chapter 13 Assessment

· Music Program 7:00 (Kids should come up to room at 6:45)

Wednesday, April 25

· Lesson 26 Reading Test

Thursday, April 26

· Unit 9 Math Test

Friday, April 27

· Geography Test Trimester 3

· Mid Trimester Reports come home

· Bingo Night---See you there!

Tuesday, May 1

· Poet Assembly

Wednesday, May 2

· Discovery Center

Thursday, May 3

· Poetry Cafe 6:30-7:30 Everyone is invited!

Friday, May 4

· Cernan Space Center--Students need to bring a fully disposable sack lunch

And don't forget, Riley's 40th Anniversary Celebration is on Thursday, May 10 starting at 5:30!

Stayed tuned to my blog for other important dates. We will continue to have spelling tests on "D" days and reading tests on "E" day. Students will also be recording other test dates in their Agendas, so keep checking (and signing) the planners.

If Father Time is rushing the year, then Mother Nature has got to catch up. It's cold out there! Stay warm!

April 13, 2012

Even the 5 day weeks are flying by. The middle of April is upon us (do you know where your taxes are?), and we are actually halfway through the last trimester! I know that the kids are looking forward to summer, but I really am enjoying working with this class, so I'm not in such a hurry! However, in roughly 6 weeks, your child will be fifth graders. Unbelievable, right?

Academically speaking...

Reading/Language Arts: Nurtured by creative minds, the poetry is blossoming in our room. The kids seem to be enjoying their resourcefulness with words. We'll be working on cinquains and rhyming poems next week.

The plays the children performed were wonderful. Each time we do Readers' Theater, I marvel at their ingenuity in making scenery and props to go with their plays. On Thursday we'll start our next lesson in the reader, an expository nonfiction. We'll revisit Main Ideas and Details and learn about irregular verbs.

Math: We are still busy working on Unit 9. We are learning about graphing data and we'll tackle multiplication and division of decimals (not as hard as it may sound---it's all about putting the decimal in the right place). We'll have the test on Thursday, April 26.

Science: During Discovery Science the children learned about oil spills and their effect on the environment. In the classroom, we're sharpening our knowledge of the solar system; our next "phase" will cover the moon.

Social Science: Loyalists, Patriots, Oh My! Next week we go to war. We'll also be writing letters from the point of view of the soldiers fighting with George Washington at Valley Forge.

Coming Up:

Tuesday, April 17

· Math MAP test

Thursday, April 19

· Prefix quiz (mal-)

Friday, April 20

· Trimester 3 Geography Due

Tuesday, April 24

· History Alive Chapter 13 Test

· Spelling Test 26

· Musical 7:00

Wednesday, April 25

· Lesson 26 Reading Test

Thursday, April 26

· Unit 9 Math Test

Friday, April 27

· Geography Test

· PTO BINGO

Enjoy the weekend...Stay dry!

April 6, 2012

It was so nice to have time to relax, but now we’re back in business after our well-deserved spring break. With only two months left of school, the time is going to fly. The children are already talking about summer, but we'll keep our “eye on the ball” (GO CUBS!) to accomplish all the things we need to do.

Academically….

Reading/Language Arts: We have been working on different Readers’ Theaters this week. Each play tells a little about another culture, so in addition to being fun for the kids to perform, we’re learning too! Our next reading lesson will not start until the 19th since some of our morning slots will be spent testing (see the note in the Friday Folder about MAP testing). No worries, though---we will finish the anthology before the end of the year.

We have also been very busy learning about various forms of poetry. I’m so pleased with the creativity I’ve seen. I know you’ll be impressed when you see their poetry books.

Math: We are spending our time renaming fractions as decimals and percents, and the children are getting quite good at it. Later in this unit, we’ll be working on reporting and comparing data. The test will not be until the week of the 16th—I’ll let you know when!

Social Science: The colonists have had it with Britain and have decided “they’re not going to take it anymore!” Independence has been declared, and we’re readying ourselves for war!

Science: Our unit on the solar system has taken off. We’ve learned some new vocabulary words and are blasting off to learn more about space and particularly our moon.

Coming up…

Monday, April 9

·Spelling Test 25

Poetry Night Slips Due (if your child is interested in participating)

Tuesday, April 10

· Reading Test 25

· Assembly

Wednesday, April 11

Discovery Science

Friday, April 13

· Reading MAP test

Tuesday, April 17

· Math MAP test

Looking ahead…

Tuesday, April 24—4thand 5th grade musical

Wednesday, May 2---Discovery Science

Thursday, May 3--- Riley’s Poetry Café at 6:30

Friday, May 4---Field trip to Cernan Space Center

To stay up-to-date, be sure to check out Riley’s website for calendar special events! It’s packed!

Have a wonderful holiday weekend! Enjoy your families!

March 9, 2012

What a week! I can’t exactly say that the mood for testing was overly enthusiastic, but the children were good sports and really seemed to put a lot of effort into doing their best. It’s a relief to have the week behind us!

To top off our week, report cards were sent home today. Remember, as the year progresses, the topics change, so a slight fluctuation in grades is nothing to worry about. A lot of the material is brand new (think math!), and this can be a challenge for some. Please sign the envelope and send it back to school on Monday.

We’ll be back to business next week…

Reading/Language Arts: We’ll start our new story on Tuesday (A Day, as usual). It’s written like a diary about a girl’s move from Mexico to the United States. We’ll be reviewing character, setting, and plot, and our study of verbs will continue with the introduction of linking verbs.

We started a new read-aloud novel, Ace, the Very Important Pig, today and already the kids are chuckling.

Math: We will polish our area and perimeter skills next week. I’ll make sure the students “measure up” before next Friday’s test on Unit 8.

Social Science: The colonists are becoming very unhappy with their parent country Britain (think teenager/parent)! We’ll start our discussion and debate of the way Britain was treating the people in the colonies: Fair or Unfair? I’m sure my students will have plenty to say on the subject!

The children have started (and in some cases, already completed!) the third trimester Geography. It is due April 20---the assessment will be April 27.

Our Second Step program has given us an opportunity to explore empathy, assertiveness, and recognizing feelings of others. This week’s Home Link on Understanding Different Perspectives should have come home today. Next week we’ll talk about Conversations and Compliments. .

Science: Our new unit of study will be Space. It promises to be “out of this world!”

Coming up….

Wednesday, March 14

· Discovery Center

Thursday, March 15

· Prefix quiz-- circ, circum

Friday, March 16

· Spelling Unit 22 Quiz

· Math Unit 8 Test

Monday, March 19

· Reading Weekly Test 22

Tuesday, March 20

· No School---Election Day

Thursday, March 22

· SPIN Dance 6:30-8:00 Hope to see you there!

Friday, March 23

· Spring Vacation Begins at 3:30 See you on the 2nd!

Remember to Spring Forward this weekend. Enjoy the warmer weather too!

March 9, 2012

What a week! I can’t exactly say that the mood for testing was overly enthusiastic, but the children were good sports and really seemed to put a lot of effort into doing their best. It’s a relief to have the week behind us!

To top off our week, report cards were sent home today. Remember, as the year progresses, the topics change, so a slight fluctuation in grades is nothing to worry about. A lot of the material is brand new (think math!), and this can be a challenge for some. Please sign the envelope and send it back to school on Monday.

We’ll be back to business next week…

Reading/Language Arts: We’ll start our new story on Tuesday (A Day as usual). It’s written like a diary about a girl’s move from Mexico to the United States. We’ll be reviewing character, setting, and plot, and our study of verbs will continue with the introduction of linking verbs.

We started a new read-aloud novel, Ace, the Very Important Pig, today and already the kids are chuckling.

Math: We will polish our area and perimeter skills next week. I’ll make sure the students “measure up” before next Friday’s test on Unit 8.

Social Science: The colonists are becoming very unhappy with their parent country Britain (think teenager/parent)! We’ll start our discussion and debate of the way Britain was treating the people in the colonies: Fair or Unfair? I’m sure my students will have plenty to say on the subject!

The children have started (and in some cases, already completed!) the third trimester of Geography. It is due April 20---the assessment will be April 27.

Our Second Step program has given us an opportunity to explore empathy, assertiveness, and recognizing feelings of others. This week’s Home Link on Understanding Different Perspectives should have come home today. Next week we’ll talk about Conversations and Compliments. .

Science: Our new unit of study will be Space. It promises to be “out of this world!”

Coming up….

Wednesday, March 14

· Discovery Center

Thursday, March 15

· Prefix quiz-- circ, circum

Friday, March 16

· Spelling Unit 22 Quiz

· Math Unit 8 Test

Monday, March 19

· Reading Weekly Test 22

Tuesday, March 20

· No School---Election Day

Thursday, March 22

· SPIN Dance 6:30-8:00 Hope to see you there!

Friday, March 23

· Spring Vacation Begins at 3:30 See you on the 2nd!

Remember to Spring Forward this weekend. Enjoy the warmer weather too!

March 9, 2012

What a week! I can’t exactly say that the mood for testing was overly enthusiastic, but the children were good sports and really seemed to put a lot of effort into doing their best. It’s a relief to have the week behind us!

To top off our week, report cards were sent home today. Remember, as the year progresses, the topics change, so a slight fluctuation in grades is nothing to worry about. A lot of the material is brand new (think math!), and this can be a challenge for some. Please sign the envelope and send it back to school on Monday.

We’ll be back to business next week…

Reading/Language Arts: We’ll start our new story on Tuesday (A Day as usual). It’s written like a diary about a girl’s move from Mexico to the United States. We’ll be reviewing character, setting, and plot, and our study of verbs will continue with the introduction of linking verbs.

We started a new read-aloud novel, Ace, the Very Important Pig, today and already the kids are chuckling.

Math: We will polish our area and perimeter skills next week. I’ll make sure the students “measure up” before next Friday’s test on Unit 8.

Social Science: The colonists are becoming very unhappy with their parent country Britain (think teenager/parent)! We’ll start our discussion and debate of the way Britain was treating the people in the colonies: Fair or Unfair? I’m sure my students will have plenty to say on the subject!

The children have started (and in some cases, already completed!) the third trimester of Geography. It is due April 20---the assessment will be April 27.

Our Second Step program has given us an opportunity to explore empathy, assertiveness, and recognizing feelings of others. This week’s Home Link on Understanding Different Perspectives should have come home today. Next week we’ll talk about Conversations and Compliments. .

Science: Our new unit of study will be Space. It promises to be “out of this world!”

Coming up….

Wednesday, March 14

· Discovery Center

Thursday, March 15

· Prefix quiz-- circ, circum

Friday, March 16

· Spelling Unit 22 Quiz

· Math Unit 8 Test

Monday, March 19

· Reading Weekly Test 22

Tuesday, March 20

· No School---Election Day

Thursday, March 22

· SPIN Dance 6:30-8:00 Hope to see you there!

Friday, March 23

· Spring Vacation Begins at 3:30 See you on the 2nd!

Remember to Spring Forward this weekend. Enjoy the warmer weather too!

March 9, 2012

What a week! I can’t exactly say that the mood for testing was overly enthusiastic, but the children were good sports and really seemed to put a lot of effort into doing their best. It’s a relief to have the week behind us!

To top off our week, report cards were sent home today. Remember, as the year progresses, the topics change, so a slight fluctuation in grades is nothing to worry about. A lot of the material is brand new (think math!), and this can be a challenge for some. Please sign the envelope and send it back to school on Monday.

We’ll be back to business next week…

Reading/Language Arts: We’ll start our new story on Tuesday (A Day as usual). It’s written like a diary about a girl’s move from Mexico to the United States. We’ll be reviewing character, setting, and plot, and our study of verbs will continue with the introduction of linking verbs.

We started a new read-aloud novel, Ace, the Very Important Pig, today and already the kids are chuckling.

Math: We will polish our area and perimeter skills next week. I’ll make sure the students “measure up” before next Friday’s test on Unit 8.

Social Science: The colonists are becoming very unhappy with their parent country Britain (think teenager/parent)! We’ll start our discussion and debate of the way Britain was treating the people in the colonies: Fair or Unfair? I’m sure my students will have plenty to say on the subject!

The children have started (and in some cases, already completed!) the third trimester of Geography. It is due April 20---the assessment will be April 27.

Our Second Step program has given us an opportunity to explore empathy, assertiveness, and recognizing feelings of others. This week’s Home Link on Understanding Different Perspectives should have come home today. Next week we’ll talk about Conversations and Compliments. .

Science: Our new unit of study will be Space. It promises to be “out of this world!”

Coming up….

Wednesday, March 14

· Discovery Center

Thursday, March 15

· Prefix quiz-- circ, circum

Friday, March 16

· Spelling Unit 22 Quiz

· Math Unit 8 Test

Monday, March 19

· Reading Weekly Test 22

Tuesday, March 20

· No School---Election Day

Thursday, March 22

· SPIN Dance 6:30-8:00 Hope to see you there!

Friday, March 23

· Spring Vacation Begins at 3:30 See you on the 2nd!

Remember to Spring Forward this weekend. Enjoy the warmer weather too!

March 9, 2012

What a week! I can’t exactly say that the mood for testing was overly enthusiastic, but the children were good sports and really seemed to put a lot of effort into doing their best. It’s a relief to have the week behind us!

To top off our week, report cards were sent home today. Remember, as the year progresses, the topics change, so a slight fluctuation in grades is nothing to worry about. A lot of the material is brand new (think math!), and this can be a challenge for some. Please sign the envelope and send it back to school on Monday.

We’ll be back to business next week…

Reading/Language Arts: We’ll start our new story on Tuesday (A Day as usual). It’s written like a diary about a girl’s move from Mexico to the United States. We’ll be reviewing character, setting, and plot, and our study of verbs will continue with the introduction of linking verbs.

We started a new read-aloud novel, Ace, the Very Important Pig, today and already the kids are chuckling.

Math: We will polish our area and perimeter skills next week. I’ll make sure the students “measure up” before next Friday’s test on Unit 8.

Social Science: The colonists are becoming very unhappy with their parent country Britain (think teenager/parent)! We’ll start our discussion and debate of the way Britain was treating the people in the colonies: Fair or Unfair? I’m sure my students will have plenty to say on the subject!

The children have started (and in some cases, already completed!) the third trimester of Geography. It is due April 20---the assessment will be April 27.

Our Second Step program has given us an opportunity to explore empathy, assertiveness, and recognizing feelings of others. This week’s Home Link on Understanding Different Perspectives should have come home today. Next week we’ll talk about Conversations and Compliments. .

Science: Our new unit of study will be Space. It promises to be “out of this world!”

Coming up….

Wednesday, March 14

· Discovery Center

Thursday, March 15

· Prefix quiz-- circ, circum

Friday, March 16

· Spelling Unit 22 Quiz

· Math Unit 8 Test

Monday, March 19

· Reading Weekly Test 22

Tuesday, March 20

· No School---Election Day

Thursday, March 22

· SPIN Dance 6:30-8:00 Hope to see you there!

Friday, March 23

· Spring Vacation Begins at 3:30 See you on the 2nd!

Remember to Spring Forward this weekend. Enjoy the warmer weather too!

March 9, 2012

What a week! I can’t exactly say that the mood for testing was overly enthusiastic, but the children were good sports and really seemed to put a lot of effort into doing their best. It’s a relief to have the week behind us!

To top off our week, report cards were sent home today. Remember, as the year progresses, the topics change, so a slight fluctuation in grades is nothing to worry about. A lot of the material is brand new (think math!), and this can be a challenge for some. Please sign the envelope and send it back to school on Monday.

We’ll be back to business next week…

Reading/Language Arts: We’ll start our new story on Tuesday (A Day as usual). It’s written like a diary about a girl’s move from Mexico to the United States. We’ll be reviewing character, setting, and plot, and our study of verbs will continue with the introduction of linking verbs.

We started a new read-aloud novel, Ace, the Very Important Pig, today and already the kids are chuckling.

Math: We will polish our area and perimeter skills next week. I’ll make sure the students “measure up” before next Friday’s test on Unit 8.

Social Science: The colonists are becoming very unhappy with their parent country Britain (think teenager/parent)! We’ll start our discussion and debate of the way Britain was treating the people in the colonies: Fair or Unfair? I’m sure my students will have plenty to say on the subject!

The children have started (and in some cases, already completed!) the third trimester of Geography. It is due April 20---the assessment will be April 27.

Our Second Step program has given us an opportunity to explore empathy, assertiveness, and recognizing feelings of others. This week’s Home Link on Understanding Different Perspectives should have come home today. Next week we’ll talk about Conversations and Compliments. .

Science: Our new unit of study will be Space. It promises to be “out of this world!”

Coming up….

Wednesday, March 14

· Discovery Center

Thursday, March 15

· Prefix quiz-- circ, circum

Friday, March 16

· Spelling Unit 22 Quiz

· Math Unit 8 Test

Monday, March 19

· Reading Weekly Test 22

Tuesday, March 20

· No School---Election Day

Thursday, March 22

· SPIN Dance 6:30-8:00 Hope to see you there!

Friday, March 23

· Spring Vacation Begins at 3:30 See you on the 2nd!

Remember to Spring Forward this weekend. Enjoy the warmer weather too!

March 9, 2012

What a week! I can’t exactly say that the mood for testing was overly enthusiastic, but the children were good sports and really seemed to put a lot of effort into doing their best. It’s a relief to have the week behind us!

To top off our week, report cards were sent home today. Remember, as the year progresses, the topics change, so a slight fluctuation in grades is nothing to worry about. A lot of the material is brand new (think math!), and this can be a challenge for some. Please sign the envelope and send it back to school on Monday.

We’ll be back to business next week…

Reading/Language Arts: We’ll start our new story on Tuesday (A Day as usual). It’s written like a diary about a girl’s move from Mexico to the United States. We’ll be reviewing character, setting, and plot, and our study of verbs will continue with the introduction of linking verbs.

We started a new read-aloud novel, Ace, the Very Important Pig, today and already the kids are chuckling.

Math: We will polish our area and perimeter skills next week. I’ll make sure the students “measure up” before next Friday’s test on Unit 8.

Social Science: The colonists are becoming very unhappy with their parent country Britain (think teenager/parent)! We’ll start our discussion and debate of the way Britain was treating the people in the colonies: Fair or Unfair? I’m sure my students will have plenty to say on the subject!

The children have started (and in some cases, already completed!) the third trimester of Geography. It is due April 20---the assessment will be April 27.

Our Second Step program has given us an opportunity to explore empathy, assertiveness, and recognizing feelings of others. This week’s Home Link on Understanding Different Perspectives should have come home today. Next week we’ll talk about Conversations and Compliments. .

Science: Our new unit of study will be Space. It promises to be “out of this world!”

Coming up….

Wednesday, March 14

· Discovery Center

Thursday, March 15

· Prefix quiz-- circ, circum

Friday, March 16

· Spelling Unit 22 Quiz

· Math Unit 8 Test

Monday, March 19

· Reading Weekly Test 22

Tuesday, March 20

· No School---Election Day

Thursday, March 22

· SPIN Dance 6:30-8:00 Hope to see you there!

Friday, March 23

· Spring Vacation Begins at 3:30 See you on the 2nd!

Remember to Spring Forward this weekend. Enjoy the warmer weather too!

March 9, 2012

What a week! I can’t exactly say that the mood for testing was overly enthusiastic, but the children were good sports and really seemed to put a lot of effort into doing their best. It’s a relief to have the week behind us!

To top off our week, report cards were sent home today. Remember, as the year progresses, the topics change, so a slight fluctuation in grades is nothing to worry about. A lot of the material is brand new (think math!), and this can be a challenge for some. Please sign the envelope and send it back to school on Monday.

We’ll be back to business next week…

Reading/Language Arts: We’ll start our new story on Tuesday (A Day as usual). It’s written like a diary about a girl’s move from Mexico to the United States. We’ll be reviewing character, setting, and plot, and our study of verbs will continue with the introduction of linking verbs.

We started a new read-aloud novel, Ace, the Very Important Pig, today and already the kids are chuckling.

Math: We will polish our area and perimeter skills next week. I’ll make sure the students “measure up” before next Friday’s test on Unit 8.

Social Science: The colonists are becoming very unhappy with their parent country Britain (think teenager/parent)! We’ll start our discussion and debate of the way Britain was treating the people in the colonies: Fair or Unfair? I’m sure my students will have plenty to say on the subject!

The children have started (and in some cases, already completed!) the third trimester of Geography. It is due April 20---the assessment will be April 27.

Our Second Step program has given us an opportunity to explore empathy, assertiveness, and recognizing feelings of others. This week’s Home Link on Understanding Different Perspectives should have come home today. Next week we’ll talk about Conversations and Compliments. .

Science: Our new unit of study will be Space. It promises to be “out of this world!”

Coming up….

Wednesday, March 14

· Discovery Center

Thursday, March 15

· Prefix quiz-- circ, circum

Friday, March 16

· Spelling Unit 22 Quiz

· Math Unit 8 Test

Monday, March 19

· Reading Weekly Test 22

Tuesday, March 20

· No School---Election Day

Thursday, March 22

· SPIN Dance 6:30-8:00 Hope to see you there!

Friday, March 23

· Spring Vacation Begins at 3:30 See you on the 2nd!

Remember to Spring Forward this weekend. Enjoy the warmer weather too!

March 9, 2012

What a week! I can’t exactly say that the mood for testing was overly enthusiastic, but the children were good sports and really seemed to put a lot of effort into doing their best. It’s a relief to have the week behind us!

To top off our week, report cards were sent home today. Remember, as the year progresses, the topics change, so a slight fluctuation in grades is nothing to worry about. A lot of the material is brand new (think math!), and this can be a challenge for some. Please sign the envelope and send it back to school on Monday.

We’ll be back to business next week…

Reading/Language Arts: We’ll start our new story on Tuesday (A Day as usual). It’s written like a diary about a girl’s move from Mexico to the United States. We’ll be reviewing character, setting, and plot, and our study of verbs will continue with the introduction of linking verbs.

We started a new read-aloud novel, Ace, the Very Important Pig, today and already the kids are chuckling.

Math: We will polish our area and perimeter skills next week. I’ll make sure the students “measure up” before next Friday’s test on Unit 8.

Social Science: The colonists are becoming very unhappy with their parent country Britain (think teenager/parent)! We’ll start our discussion and debate of the way Britain was treating the people in the colonies: Fair or Unfair? I’m sure my students will have plenty to say on the subject!

The children have started (and in some cases, already completed!) the third trimester of Geography. It is due April 20---the assessment will be April 27.

Our Second Step program has given us an opportunity to explore empathy, assertiveness, and recognizing feelings of others. This week’s Home Link on Understanding Different Perspectives should have come home today. Next week we’ll talk about Conversations and Compliments. .

Science: Our new unit of study will be Space. It promises to be “out of this world!”

Coming up….

Wednesday, March 14

· Discovery Center

Thursday, March 15

· Prefix quiz-- circ, circum

Friday, March 16

· Spelling Unit 22 Quiz

· Math Unit 8 Test

Monday, March 19

· Reading Weekly Test 22

Tuesday, March 20

· No School---Election Day

Thursday, March 22

· SPIN Dance 6:30-8:00 Hope to see you there!

Friday, March 23

· Spring Vacation Begins at 3:30 See you on the 2nd!

Remember to Spring Forward this weekend. Enjoy the warmer weather too!

March 9, 2012

What a week! I can’t exactly say that the mood for testing was overly enthusiastic, but the children were good sports and really seemed to put a lot of effort into doing their best. It’s a relief to have the week behind us!

To top off our week, report cards were sent home today. Remember, as the year progresses, the topics change, so a slight fluctuation in grades is nothing to worry about. A lot of the material is brand new (think math!), and this can be a challenge for some. Please sign the envelope and send it back to school on Monday.

We’ll be back to business next week…

Reading/Language Arts: We’ll start our new story on Tuesday (A Day as usual). It’s written like a diary about a girl’s move from Mexico to the United States. We’ll be reviewing character, setting, and plot, and our study of verbs will continue with the introduction of linking verbs.

We started a new read-aloud novel, Ace, the Very Important Pig, today and already the kids are chuckling.

Math: We will polish our area and perimeter skills next week. I’ll make sure the students “measure up” before next Friday’s test on Unit 8.

Social Science: The colonists are becoming very unhappy with their parent country Britain (think teenager/parent)! We’ll start our discussion and debate of the way Britain was treating the people in the colonies: Fair or Unfair? I’m sure my students will have plenty to say on the subject!

The children have started (and in some cases, already completed!) the third trimester of Geography. It is due April 20---the assessment will be April 27.

Our Second Step program has given us an opportunity to explore empathy, assertiveness, and recognizing feelings of others. This week’s Home Link on Understanding Different Perspectives should have come home today. Next week we’ll talk about Conversations and Compliments. .

Science: Our new unit of study will be Space. It promises to be “out of this world!”

Coming up….

Wednesday, March 14

· Discovery Center

Thursday, March 15

· Prefix quiz-- circ, circum

Friday, March 16

· Spelling Unit 22 Quiz

· Math Unit 8 Test

Monday, March 19

· Reading Weekly Test 22

Tuesday, March 20

· No School---Election Day

Thursday, March 22

· SPIN Dance 6:30-8:00 Hope to see you there!

Friday, March 23

· Spring Vacation Begins at 3:30 See you on the 2nd!

Remember to Spring Forward this weekend. Enjoy the warmer weather too!

March 9, 2012

What a week! I can’t exactly say that the mood for testing was overly enthusiastic, but the children were good sports and really seemed to put a lot of effort into doing their best. It’s a relief to have the week behind us!

To top off our week, report cards were sent home today. Remember, as the year progresses, the topics change, so a slight fluctuation in grades is nothing to worry about. A lot of the material is brand new (think math!), and this can be a challenge for some. Please sign the envelope and send it back to school on Monday.

We’ll be back to business next week…

Reading/Language Arts: We’ll start our new story on Tuesday (A Day as usual). It’s written like a diary about a girl’s move from Mexico to the United States. We’ll be reviewing character, setting, and plot, and our study of verbs will continue with the introduction of linking verbs.

We started a new read-aloud novel, Ace, the Very Important Pig, today and already the kids are chuckling.

Math: We will polish our area and perimeter skills next week. I’ll make sure the students “measure up” before next Friday’s test on Unit 8.

Social Science: The colonists are becoming very unhappy with their parent country Britain (think teenager/parent)! We’ll start our discussion and debate of the way Britain was treating the people in the colonies: Fair or Unfair? I’m sure my students will have plenty to say on the subject!

The children have started (and in some cases, already completed!) the third trimester of Geography. It is due April 20---the assessment will be April 27.

Our Second Step program has given us an opportunity to explore empathy, assertiveness, and recognizing feelings of others. This week’s Home Link on Understanding Different Perspectives should have come home today. Next week we’ll talk about Conversations and Compliments. .

Science: Our new unit of study will be Space. It promises to be “out of this world!”

Coming up….

Wednesday, March 14

· Discovery Center

Thursday, March 15

· Prefix quiz-- circ, circum

Friday, March 16

· Spelling Unit 22 Quiz

· Math Unit 8 Test

Monday, March 19

· Reading Weekly Test 22

Tuesday, March 20

· No School---Election Day

Thursday, March 22

· SPIN Dance 6:30-8:00 Hope to see you there!

Friday, March 23

· Spring Vacation Begins at 3:30 See you on the 2nd!

Remember to Spring Forward this weekend. Enjoy the warmer weather too!

March 9, 2012

What a week! I can’t exactly say that the mood for testing was overly enthusiastic, but the children were good sports and really seemed to put a lot of effort into doing their best. It’s a relief to have the week behind us!

To top off our week, report cards were sent home today. Remember, as the year progresses, the topics change, so a slight fluctuation in grades is nothing to worry about. A lot of the material is brand new (think math!), and this can be a challenge for some. Please sign the envelope and send it back to school on Monday.

We’ll be back to business next week…

Reading/Language Arts: We’ll start our new story on Tuesday (A Day as usual). It’s written like a diary about a girl’s move from Mexico to the United States. We’ll be reviewing character, setting, and plot, and our study of verbs will continue with the introduction of linking verbs.

We started a new read-aloud novel, Ace, the Very Important Pig, today and already the kids are chuckling.

Math: We will polish our area and perimeter skills next week. I’ll make sure the students “measure up” before next Friday’s test on Unit 8.

Social Science: The colonists are becoming very unhappy with their parent country Britain (think teenager/parent)! We’ll start our discussion and debate of the way Britain was treating the people in the colonies: Fair or Unfair? I’m sure my students will have plenty to say on the subject!

The children have started (and in some cases, already completed!) the third trimester of Geography. It is due April 20---the assessment will be April 27.

Our Second Step program has given us an opportunity to explore empathy, assertiveness, and recognizing feelings of others. This week’s Home Link on Understanding Different Perspectives should have come home today. Next week we’ll talk about Conversations and Compliments. .

Science: Our new unit of study will be Space. It promises to be “out of this world!”

Coming up….

Wednesday, March 14

· Discovery Center

Thursday, March 15

· Prefix quiz-- circ, circum

Friday, March 16

· Spelling Unit 22 Quiz

· Math Unit 8 Test

Monday, March 19

· Reading Weekly Test 22

Tuesday, March 20

· No School---Election Day

Thursday, March 22

· SPIN Dance 6:30-8:00 Hope to see you there!

Friday, March 23

· Spring Vacation Begins at 3:30 See you on the 2nd!

Remember to Spring Forward this weekend. Enjoy the warmer weather too!

February 24, 2012

The stars were out in our class this week. The children practiced their parts and designed scenery for the mysteries they performed today. In addition to their expressive reading, they were so creative in planning sets and props. Our room was transformed into an amusement park, a magic show with lightning in the background, and a schoolyard shadowed by a statue. The enthusiasm was impressive (the noise oppressive!), but every child could have earned an Oscar.

We have parents who deserve awards, as well. These parents planned and hosted our well-organized Valentine's Day party last week .The craft projects were fun and let the children flex their imaginative muscles. It was great!

Other than Readers’ Theater, Academically...

Reading/ Language Arts: Next week we’ll be reading an excerpt from a favorite book, Because of Winn Dixie, examining character, setting, and plot, and learning about verbs. Trucker Buddy is due for a letter, so we’ll be writing to him to let him know about the exciting things happening in our lives. We’re also going to finish reading our novel Jackie and Me. The children have really enjoyed the book. In addition to being well-written, it has generated some good discussions about what life was like 60 years ago in the U.S.A. for African Americans.

Math: We’re working our way around perimeter (ha ha) and covering area (again, ha ha)! We’re going to review symmetry and solid shapes briefly this week just in case these topics show up on the I.S.A.T.s These units are later in the year, but I want to reawaken what the kids have learned in previous years just in case.

Social Science: Our Second Step discussions have been engaging. Hopefully, you’ve had some good conversations at home when you’ve completed the activities with your child. While we will continue to work our way through the program, we’ll be returning to the colonies in two weeks.

Science: Our next kit will be here soon, and our world will expand to space. In the meantime, we’re going over topics that the kids have studied in past years because fourth grade I.S.A.T.s include two science tests!

Coming up…

Monday, February 27

· Reading Test Lesson 20

Assembly

Friday, March 2

· Spelling Test Lesson 21

· Prefix Quiz intra-

· End of Trimester 2

Monday, March 5

· Reading Test 21

ISAT Schedule:

Tuesday, March 6

v 9:15 Reading Test 1

v 1:15 Math Test 1

Wednesday, March 7

v 9:15 Reading Test 2

v 1:15 Math Test2

Thursday, March 8

v 9:15 Reading Test 3

v 1:15 Math Test 3

Friday, March 9

v 9:15 Science Test 1

v 1:15 Science Test 2

Plan ahead for testing week---Please try to limit activities at night (I’ll do my part—no homework)! I want to make sure that the kids get a good night’s sleep every night. Also, I’m encouraging the children to eat healthy breakfasts and lunches all week and bring in nutritious snacks. #2 pencils with good erasers and working calculators are the only school supplies that will be needed for the tests. I’ll be sending a permission slip home at the end of the week, also. If you want to send in gum with your child to chew while taking the tests, just fill out the permission slip and stock up! It seems to relax them!

Have a wonderful weekend!

February 10, 2012

Ranger Jeff from Crabtree Nature Center in Barrington visited on Wednesday and shared his wealth of knowledge with us about owls. In addition to some stuffed owls, he brought a live screech owl for all of us to see. It was an authentic experience for all of the children after our discussion of owls and dissection of pellets. For information on Crabtree’s programs, you can call (847) 381-6592.

Our units of study continue.

Reading/Language Arts:

· Folktales

· Theme

· Comparative/Superlative Adjectives

· Written Responses

Math:

· Fractions and probability

· Exemplars

Science:

· The study of space is in our future, but we’re reviewing some topics for the I.S.A.T. tests first

Social Studies:

· Geography (GROW due February 22)

· Colonial troubles coming up

Remember these dates…

Monday, February 13

· Discovery Science

Tuesday, February 14

· Prefix quiz “dis-“

· Valentine’s Day Parties @ 2:15—Remember, NO candy can be sent home.

Wednesday, February 15

· Spelling Test Lesson 19

Thursday, February 16

· Weekly Reading Test 18

· Math Unit 7 test

Friday, February 17 and Monday, February 20

· No School

You knew they were coming….

I.S.A.T.s are scheduled the first week of March. We have 8 tests to take! As soon as the schedule is available, I’ll let you know, but please try to avoid any unnecessary absences during that week.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

February 3, 2012

Looking outside, it’s a lot different than this time last year. I think Denver got our snow! Personally, I don’t miss it (sorry, Skiers)! Fortunately, the weather hasn’t had a chance to interrupt our learning!

Academically…

Reading/Language Arts: The students are enjoying our novel Jackie and Me. We’ve had valuable discussions about how far our society has come in accepting people who are different than us. Our new story talks about another difference---a small boy living large in a giants’ world. It’s interesting to read how he adapts. We are learning about THEME this lesson, as well as NARRATIVE FORMS of LITERATURE. ADJECTIVES and ARTICLES are the parts of speech we’re tackling.

Math: Our study of fractions and probability continues with impressive progress being made.

Science: We’re learning more details about ecology. There will be a test at the end of next week on the material. I’ll tell the students what they’re responsible for knowing and review with them. Also we’re very excited about a special guest we’re having next week. Ask your child WHOOOOOOOO!

Social Science: Our Second Step topic this week was Listening---next week we’ll talk about Being Assertive.

Coming up…

Monday, February 6

· Conferences

· Wednesday, February 8

· Spelling Lesson 18 Test

· Special Guest

Thursday, February 9

· Reading Lesson 18 Test

· Conferences

Friday, February 10

· Jump Rope for Heart 10:00-11:00: Students should dress comfortably and bring water bottles.

· Ecology Assessment

Looking Ahead…

Monday, February 13

· Discovery Science

Tuesday, February 14

· Valentine’s Day Parties @ 2:15

Thursday, February 16

· Math Unit 7 test

Friday, February 17 and Monday, February 20

· No School

Have a SUPER weekend!

January 27, 2012

It seems like the holidays were so long ago, and yet, the month of January just flew by. The children continued to impress me this month with everything that they can accomplish. Also impressive was how few “X’s” I had to mark on the mid-trimester reports. I hope that first half of the school year has been as productive and positive for your child as it has been for me.

Academically speaking…

Reading/Language: We deserved a break, so instead of introducing a new story today, we started reading one of my favorite Dan Gutman books, Jackie and Me. It’s fiction but includes many interesting facts about Jackie Robinson. The students will still be working on spelling and grammar (subject and object pronouns) next week.

Math: We will start our unit on Fractions and Probability next week. I’m not dropping multiplication and division, however! We’ll keep practicing so we can keep our skills sharp.

Science: We continued to work on ecology, focusing this week on different ecosystems and what happens when there is a threat to that ecosystem. We haven’t forgotten our owls, however! Today we dissected owls virtually. It was much neater, but not as much fun! We’ll focus on food chains and food webs next week.

Social Science: Has your child talked to you about empathy? I started working with the class on a special program called “Second Step.” It’s a wonderful life skills program that has been piloted in individual classrooms before, but never in a whole grade level. Since we ARE the grade level, I thought it would be great to do it all together, especially since the kids will be next year’s school leaders. Next week we’ll be discussing Listening with Attention.

Coming up:

Monday, January 30

· Baby pictures are due (if participating in our guessing game)

Wednesday, February 1

· Spelling Test—Lesson 17

Thursday, February 2

· NO READING TEST!

Friday, February 3

· Prefix quiz super--; sur—

One last thing…

You can keep the mid-trimester report that can came home, but please send back the envelope (signed) along with the conference note. If I didn’t schedule a conference and you want one, I’ll be happy to schedule one.

Enjoy your weekend!

January 14, 2012

Winter that is! The children were so excited watching the snow fall on Thursday, it was hard not to share their enthusiasm (until I had to drive home, at least)! I’m relieved that it waited until Thursday, though…I can remember many slippery drives on PTO Orbit Roller Skating Night, and this year it was smooth sailing on 53. It was a treat to see so many fourth graders there, by the way!

What a great week we had exploring owl pellets, performing our Readers’ Theater plays, and learning about Martin Luther King...

Reading/Language Arts: The students were wonderful actors and creative scenery designers for our Readers’ Theater. When we have our test next Wednesday, I will only test the children on the Robust Vocabulary words, since we read four different stories (plays) this week. Our next selection will be a narrative nonfiction—the factual information will tell a story about inventors and their inventions. Our new focus skill will be Fact and Opinion. A fact can be proven. The kids sometimes get confused, though, because they may agree with a statement so they think it’s a fact, when it is really an opinion. We’ll be talking about pronouns again in grammar, and the children will be writing a persuasive essay over the next few weeks.

Math: While we have been honing our division skills, we started using protractors to measure and create angles. We’re still getting the hang of it, however, so we’ll be practicing next week. We’ll also be talking about coordinate grids and challenging ourselves with two digit divisors (ex. 3895÷12), but students will only be responsible for 1 digit divisors on the test, which will be Wednesday, January 25.

Science: We successfully dissected the owl pellets. The fur was flying, but we found all sorts of skulls and other bones! More work on ecology next week.

Social Science: The students are making good progress on their Trimester 2 geography reviews.

Coming up:

Monday, January 16

· No School MLK Day

Tuesday, January 17

· Spelling Review Test Theme 3

Wednesday, January 18

· Reading Lesson 15 Robust Vocabulary Test

Thursday, January 19

· Discovery Science

Monday, January 23

· No School---Teachers’ Institute

I don’t know how long this snow will be around, but the kids need snow pants and boots if they want to play in it during recess. And mittens/gloves and hats are definite necessities snow or no snow---it’s cold out there! Stay safe and enjoy yourselves this long weekend!

January 6, 2012

Happy New Year! Mother Nature is sure giving us great weather to start the year!

It is so nice to be back in business. Taking a break is wonderful (especially if you don’t have to worry about homework!), but in my opinion, it’s best when everyone has a routine to follow.

Speaking of routine, we are back to ours…

Reading/Language Arts: Our reading selection this week was a fantasy. We had to stretch our minds to understand what the author, Chris Van Allsburg (The Polar Express) was talking about. We reviewed our focus skills from our last lesson: Drawing Conclusions and Predicting Outcomes. Pronouns and their antecedents were introduced during our grammar lesson.

Math: Division kept us busy all week, and I’m pleased to say that the majority of the students are very comfortable dividing! Remembering what steps to take is a bit challenging so we’ve been practicing a lot. A few of the kids who are having trouble are finding that knowing their multiplication facts would be helpful (who knew?)! Dr. Beyersdorfer continues to work with me to enrich and reinforce what we are working on. All of the children have had an opportunity to polish their division skills in the computer lab on some cool, educational math games she found for us. Next week we’ll start measuring angles. The Unit 6 Test will likely be Tuesday, January 24, but I’ll let you know for sure as it gets closer.

Science: We started our ecology unit this week. The students completed a vocabulary activity, and we all learned from each other. So far, our attention has been on the basics of ecosystems. Next week we’ll be learning about one predator—the owl--- and discovering what kind of prey the owl hunts.

Social Studies: We’ll be returning to the colonists after our ecology unit. In the meantime, students are sharpening their geography skills with a new geography packet (to be done during class). The packet will be due February 22; the quiz February 27.

Coming Up…

Monday, January 9

· Spelling Test (14)

Tuesday, January 10

· Weekly Reading Test 14

Thursday, January 12

Owl Pellet Dissections (feel free to join us at 2:15 if you’re free)!

Monday, January 16

· No School MLK Day

Thursday, January 19

· Discovery Science

Monday, January 23

· No School--Teachers’ Institute

I hope you have time to enjoy this unseasonable weather. Who knows what is in store for us in the weeks to come?

Whatever you may be celebrating,

have a wonderful holiday season.

I hope the New Year brings you

good health and

many happy occasions to celebrate!

Mrs. G.

December 10, 2011

Are you thinking, “Bear Down, Chicago Bears?” While the game tomorrow is definitely on my mind (my husband and son are Bronco fans), I am actually thinking, “Bear Down, Winter Weather’s Here!” Keeping warm is becoming a priority. I’m very happy to see the children heeding the weatherman’s warnings and wearing cold weather clothing.

Academically...

Reading/Language Arts: The students enjoyed reading last week’s realistic fiction story about surviving a forest fire. Since the theme for each guided reading book also dealt with surviving a challenge, it seemed appropriate to write about our own challenges. Students are still in the process of writing (an in-school assignment), but I’m looking forward to reading about the challenges they’ve overcome. Students learned about drawing conclusions and predicting outcomes this week, as well as how to make nouns possessive.

Next week we’ll be reading If You Lived in Colonial Times and teaching each other about life then. We will not start another story in our anthology until after break so there will not be a spelling list next week either.

Math: The children did wonderfully on our Unit 5 Test. Most have grasped multiplication, but we’ll continue practicing our newly learned skills so they won’t be lost. I’ll introduce division next week, and after break we’ll start measuring angles! If your child doesn’t have a protractor yet, please try to get one soon.

Social Studies: We’ve been reading about the 3 colonial regions (New England, Middle, and Southern) and we’ve been talking about the impact of natural resources on the economy of each region. We’ll have the Chapter 7 test on Friday, the 16th, so the kids don’t have to worry about it over break.

Here’s what is coming up…

Monday, December 12:

· Weekly Reading Test 13

Wednesday, December 14:

· Discovery Science

Friday, December 16:

· History Alive Chapter 7 Test

· Prefix Quiz contra---; counter---

· Vacation Begins at 3:30!

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

· Classes resume

Let’s hunker down in our warm homes and don our best orange and blue so that we can bring the Bears a win tomorrow. I am especially invested since my husband and son are going to be there in person rooting for that other orange and blue team!

December 2, 2011

Report Card Day! By now you have probably had a chance to look at your child’s report card. I had an opportunity to talk to all of the children individually about their report cards, and we discussed what needs to be worked on (or in a lot of cases, “to keep up the good work”)! Please sign the report card envelope and return it to school on Monday.

Academically…

Reading/Language Arts: The genre of our next story will be realistic fiction (the kids need a break from nonfiction and so do I!), and we’ll learn about drawing conclusions, a higher level thinking skill. While the last two grammar topics, common/proper nouns and singular/plural nouns, have been relatively easy for the kids to grasp, our next lesson will cover possessive nouns, so it should be interesting!!! We’ll be writing another essay, also, before the break.

Math: The children are doing beautifully on multiplication. I’ve resisted saying, “I told you so,” when a few of them have commented on how much easier it is since they know their facts! Practice and drill do make it easier, so if you know that your child is still struggling with their facts, check out Riley’s website for math games to enhance their fact recall. We also have been learning about large numbers, and today we explored Powers of 10. The Unit 5 Test will be Thursday.

Social Studies: Roanoke, Jamestown, and Plymouth colonies will not be far from our minds as we start to make our way through the 13 colonies. Learning about the geography and climate of each colonial region (New England, Middle, and Southern) is just the beginning. We’ll learn about the natural resources of each region and how they impact the economy, as well as the attempts toward self-government.

Science: We’ll start our unit on ecology after the holiday break.

Coming Up…

Monday, December 5

· Reading Lesson 12 Test

· Book Fair Opens! We’ll be previewing the books at 10:30—expect a wish list to come home!

· Book Fair Family Night (6:30)---Come for the books, stay for the magician!

Thursday, December 8

· Unit 5 Math Test

Friday, December 9

· Spelling Test

· Prefix Quiz

· Movie Night (Information came home today in Friday Folder)

Have a wonderful weekend! Let’s hope the Bears do better this Sunday!

November 27, 2011

I hope you enjoyed the Thanksgiving holiday. I’m sure I’ll hear all about it tomorrow when we return! As you know, we have three full weeks before winter break, and I have plans to keep the children very busy during that time!

Reading/Language Arts: Our next story is another expository nonfiction selection. Instead of camouflage and mimicry, though, we’ll be learning about mountains. We’ll read with an eye towards cause and effect, our focus skill. We’ll also study singular and plural nouns.

Math: Our unit on multiplication, big numbers, and scientific notations continues. Tomorrow we’ll learn about multiplying two digit numbers by two digit numbers. I am teaching the students the partial products method and lattice, as well as the traditional method so that they can use the method that is easiest for them.

Social Science: On Tuesday, we’ll have a quiz on chapter 6 in History Alive. Students will be able to use their notes from the chapter, and I’ll review with the children tomorrow, so I don’t anticipate any problems. We’ll be studying the New England, Middle, and Southern colonies next.

Science: Ecology is up next, but I’ll probably wait until the new year to start.

Coming up:

Tuesday, November 29

· Chapter 6 History Alive Quiz

Friday, December (!) 2:

· Spelling Lesson 12 Test

· Prefix Quiz co-, com-

· Math-a-thon donations due (if participating)

· REPORT CARDS COME HOME!

Monday. December 5:

· Reading Lesson 12 Test

Thursday, December 8

· Tentative Date for Math Unit 5 Test

Just a reminder: With the weather getting colder, please remind your child to dress appropriately for the weather. We will be having outdoor recess most days, so it’s important that they are prepared!

November 18, 2011

Like the leaves on the trees, time is falling away from us! It seems like I was just updating my blog yesterday when it was actually last weekend! This entry will be brief, as we’ll still be focusing on the same topics next week as we worked on this week. However, I do want you to know that the children voted to have their Lesson 11 Weekly Reading Test next Tuesday (D day) instead of waiting until after our long Thanksgiving break. I’ll remind students to bring home their reading books on Monday night so that they can reread the story.

Don’t forget that there is no school next Wednesday thru Friday. From the letters the children wrote to Trucker Buddy Jim, it sounds like the kids are really looking forward to spending time with their families.

I’ll fill you in on what will be happening after Thanksgiving when I write next week’s blog. Whatever your plans for Thanksgiving, I hope the time spent with your families is rich with laughter and delicious food. Happy Thanksgiving!

November 11, 2011

It’s hard to believe, but there are only seven more school days until Thanksgiving. I brought this up to the kids and also reminded them that at the end of those same seven school days, the marking period is over. I told them that I will be working on report cards in between eating turkey and shopping the sales. Talk about a mood breaker! The chatter stopped and there was some serious reflection. Yes, I’m afraid that one of the by- products of the comfortable rhythm we’ve settled into has been some unnecessary talking! It’s difficult for many of the children to listen to directions and instructions when there are side discussion going on, so I’ve started cracking down. A gentle reminder, along with a comment in the planner is sometimes necessary and usually effective!

It’s surprising that there is even time to talk, we’ve been so busy…

Reading/Language Arts: Our Readers’ Theater was fun to perform and informative, too. We learned about endangered species of sea turtles and the protected area on Padre Island where they build their nests and lay their eggs. Our next lesson will be about animals, also. It’s an expository nonfiction about how animals use mimicry and camouflage to survive. Our next focus skill will be cause and effect, and we are going to talk about common and proper nouns during our grammar lesson.

Math: We are going to start our unit on multiplication next week. In addition to learning to multiply multi-digit numbers, we’ll be estimating sums and products, and learning about exponents.

Science: The children have been taking charge of the snap circuit kits and creating inspired circuits. We went into the computer lab on Wednesday to explore circuits even more by visiting “Blobz Guide to Electric Circuits.” You can do it at home…it’s accessible from Riley’s webpage (click on “Classrooms,’ and then ”Fourth Grade”).

Social Studies: Land Ho! It’s been awhile since the explorers came to America (I think it was all the way back in 3rd grade!) , so we’re going to start learning about the Europeans who came to settle and start colonies in the New World.

Coming Up:

Tuesday, November 15

· Spelling Test (Reviewing Lessons 6-9)

Wednesday, November 16

· Lesson 10 Reading Test

· Storyteller Assembly

Friday, November 18

· Prefix Test “quad”

Tuesday, November 22

· Spelling Test Lesson 11

· Lesson 11 Reading Test? I’m going to ask the children to vote to see if they want it on the 22nd to get it over with before the holiday or if they want to wait until our regular test day (on E day).

Wednesday, November 23- Friday, November 25

· Thanksgiving Holiday Break----Gobble Gobble!

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October 28, 2011

The collective sigh of relief coming from our room occurred after the Geography Test was finished and handed in. Everyone survived unscathed, I’m happy to report! Students seemed well-prepared, and I’ll be able to confirm this after I correct the tests this weekend.

We all survived conferences, also! Thanks for being on time and helping me follow my schedule.It was nice to have an opportunity to meet with you. Remember, you never need to wait for formal conferences if something comes up. You can write a note in Agendas, send me an email, or leave me a voice mail anytime.

Red Ribbon Week was a success. It was great to see students dressed in their jerseys on Tuesday, in red on Thursday, and in their spiritwear Thursday.

Here’s what we’ve been doing…

Reading/Language Arts: The children loved the play we read this past week. The characters were from Mother Goose nursery rhymes, but their story line had an up-to-date twist. We also discussed the different purposes authors have for writing, as well as the perspective authors have about their topics. When it came to prepositional phrases, the kids were surprisingly adept at identifying them .

Math: Students have been working on tenths and hundredths, so can thousandths be far behind? Thousandths are on tap for next week, as well as metric measurements.

Science: Riley’s fourth graders proved to have the” power” this week. They were not to be denied the excitement of creating series and parallel circuits and turning ordinary nails into magnets. No challenge was too daunting for the young electricians! We started using snap circuits today and will continue on the road to discovery next week.

Social Science:As I said earlier, we finished our geography work (for the time being!). We wrapped up our Illinois study with John Lynn’s visit on Wednesday. He presented an interesting slide show about Illinois. He was very impressed with what the children knew about our state, and I was very impressed with how attentive they were! Our PTO sponsored his visit, so thank you, PTO Members!

Coming Up…

Monday, October 31

· Lesson 8 Weekly Reading Test

· Halloween Parade at 2:45 --- Students will be able to put on their costumes after 2:00.

Thursday, November 3

· Prefix Test “ bi-“

Friday, November 4

· Spelling Test 9

· Energy Test (We’ll do a lot of reviewing beforehand)

Monday, November 7

· Lesson 9 Weekly Reading Test

Tuesday, November 8

· Unit 4 Math Test

· Family Reading Test 6:30-8:05 I’d love to see you there!

Thursday, November 10

· Institute Day--No School

Friday, November 11

· Veteran’s Day—No School

Survival seems to be the theme this week for many groups. Having squeaked by York H.S., Stevenson moves on to the next round of play-offs, and I survived the cold! Hope your weekend is off to a good start, as well. Enjoy and stay warm!