October 15th - 19th, 2012

• Needed: Dry Erase Markers.  Due to the high use of student dry erase boards, we running low on dry erase markers.  We use these boards every day in math, and reading. We would love it if you could help replenish our supply.
• No reaction sheet this next week due to conferences.
• Parent-Teacher Conferences on October 17, 18th. Reminder forms are attached to the reaction sheet in this weeks friday folder. 

     Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend.

• Early Release Day:  Wednesday, October 24, 1:10 dismissal.

• Fall Festival Parties and Parade, October 31, 2:15 p.m. 
  
  
  
  A big thank you to our guest teacher, Ms. Rose Foster, for bringing 26 iPads to our classroom.  We had a great time exploring the cool app she found for us, Barefoot Atlas.  It's a keeper for sure!  She loved our class and promises to come back again throughout the year.
  Thank you Ms. Foster!
  
  Visit the website below for more information about Africa!
  
•  http://pbskids.org/africa/

1.  Main Idea Practice:

MATH

Follow the link and play the math factor game.  This is  great multiplication practice too.  I started with the factors of 12 and played two rounds on each multiple up to 40, but the game goes up to 72, so feel free to exceed my expectation.

 http://www.coolmath4kids.com/times-tables/math-lines-xfactor-32.html

Have a parent verify that you played two rounds on each multiple up to 40

3.   Here’s an “ap-peel-ing” contest, and a fun and creative way to celebrate October’s top holiday. First, design a costume for either a real or plastic banana. Use a variety of materials, such as paper, cloth, paint, glue, markers, glitter, yarn, or whatever. Create a setting and a nameplate for your banana. Bring your completed project to school on October 31^st. We will have a “parade” of costumed bananas and a panel of judges will choose the four “top bananas”.  Awards will be given for the Top Banana, Scariest Banana, Most Creative Banana, and Funniest Banana.

For a language arts connection, each student will write a story featuring their banana as the main character. This project will be completed at home as homework. The afternoon of the 31^st, we will share our stories while we enjoy banana splits (with new bananas of course!).

Attached you will find a rubric that will be used to grade you project.

Reminders:

·         The paper should be typed in 12 point, Times New Roman Font.

·         The paper should be a minimum of 1 page typed, double spaced.

October 8th - 12th, 2012

• Mid term reports will be sent home on friday, October 12th's  folder.  Parents, please sign and have your son/daughter return them on Monday.  I look forward to discussing these with you at conferences.

• Fall Party:  has been changed to Monday, October 31.  Mrs. Lopez has volunteered to be our classroom liaison!  She will be calling parents that indicated that they could help with our party.
• Parent-Teacher Conferences are October 17, 18.   Confirmation Notes will be sent home in next weeks Friday Folder. If there’s a conflict with your time, please call me as soon as possible.
• Thank you for helping your son/daughter study their multiplication facts! Many students are lacking knowledge of their multiplication facts!  Without this basic knowledge of facts, students may fall behind in math this year.  10 or 15 minutes a night of studying multiplication facts or first thing in the morning will promote this essential learning and pave the way for future math assignments.
• Early Release Day - October 24th, 1:10.

MATH

This week we are starting our second fourth grade math unit.  We will be focusing on the operations of multiplication and division.  We will be finding factors and multiples, writing and solving multiplication and division word problems, solving multi-digit by single-digit multiplication and division problems, and continuing with Mountain Math, estimation, equivalent equations.

Review the math vocabulary below in anticipation of our new unit...

A factor is a number that can go into (divided by) a larger number evenly. 

So, 6 has 4 factors:  1,2,3, and 6

     12 has 6 factors:  1,2,3,4,6, and 12

A multiple is the product of a quantity by an integer.

So, Some multiples of 2 are 4,6,8,10,12, and on and on...

     Some multiples of 6 are 12,18, 24, 30, etc...

Ok...Let's try a few.

What are the six factors of 18?  (_____ ,_____ ,_____ ,_____, _____ ,_____)

What are the six factors of 20?  (_____ ,_____ ,_____ ,_____, _____ ,_____)

What are the factors of 40? (____,____,____,____,____,____,____,____)

What are the first three multiples of 10?  _____,_____,_____

What are the first three multiples of   5?  _____,_____,_____

What are the first three multiples of   3?  _____,_____,_____

Play the factor game below to sharpen your factor finding skills:

http://hoodamath.com/games/factorfeeder.php

2.  Please read the following text on Fingerprints and complete the diagram as instructed.

3.   Here’s an “ap-peel-ing” contest, and a fun and creative way to celebrate October’s top holiday. First, design a costume for either a real or plastic banana. Use a variety of materials, such as paper, cloth, paint, glue, markers, glitter, yarn, or whatever. Create a setting and a nameplate for your banana. Bring your completed project to school on October 31^st. We will have a “parade” of costumed bananas and a panel of judges will choose the four “top bananas”.  Awards will be given for the Top Banana, Scariest Banana, Most Creative Banana, and Funniest Banana.

For a language arts connection, each student will write a story featuring their banana as the main character. This project will be completed at home as homework. The afternoon of the 31^st, we will share our stories while we enjoy banana splits (with new bananas of course!).

Attached you will find a rubric that will be used to grade you project.

Reminders:

·         The paper should be typed in 12 point, Times New Roman Font.

·         The paper should be a minimum of 1 page typed, double spaced.