November 3-7, 2014

Thank you to all the parent helpers and contributors to our fall party. We had a wonderful afternoon of games, crafts, parade, and food! Thank you for spoiling us! <3

Dates to Remember:

• Wednesday, November 5th - Hearing & Vision Screening
• Wednesday, November 13th - Family Math Night
• Friday, November 14th - Report Cards go home
• Friday, November 21st - Grandparents day, 12:00-3:00
• November 24th - 28th - Thanksgiving Break

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Math: 

• Students have been doing a wonderful job practicing math problems on IXL. Students should know their individual log ins.   Feel free to continue exploring the site. Focus on the FOURTH GRADE D1, D2, D3.

• Students will continue to bring home math pages to complete from their math homework book. These pages need to be completed and turned in the next day. Keeping up with this important work supports the learning we are doing in class.

• Literacy -  We have been learning about how figurative language helps create a visual image for readers. Please read the poem below and then complete the activity that goes along with it.  You can choose to either type or write your answers. You must have AT LEAST one personification phrase for each season. You can do more of course!

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October 27th - 31st

Our Shark investigation was fantastic! Students worked hard to complete this lesson while science note booking. Thank you to all the many volunteers that helped this afternoon run so smoothly.

Mad Science Assembly 10:30-11:30.

• Halloween Fall Festival, Friday, October 31st - parties 2:15-3:30. Students may bring a costume to school on the morning of the 31^st and will be given 15 minutes to change before the school-wide parade begins.  Please no masks. This is a school rule.
• Banana Costume and writing are due October 31^st.
• Hearing and vision: November 5^th.
• Report Cards: November 14th.
• Thanksgiving Break November 24-28th.

• 1.  Math Homework:  most days, if we complete the in class math lesson, students are expected to bring home a practice homework page.  This page is a great support to exactly what we are working on in class.  Students are also encouraged to work on several of our online sites to promote their math learning.
  
  
  IXL.Com is an excellent resource new to our classroom.  Students can pick grade levels of practice to either pick up on skills in past grades or push their thinking on grade level or advance to 5th or 6th grade learning. Student work is tracked thru this program and I am able to see the work they have done. To log on:
  
  
  Google Search:  IXL.com
  username:  (Students have individual usernames written in their planners)
  Password: nisely04

Students need to work through the problems under Fourth Grade, D24.

2.  Banana Project is due this Thursday, October 30th.  See blog from October 6th-10th for details.

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October 20-24th, 2014

• Help Needed:  We have taken on an organizing and revamping project in our classroom and are in need of plastic magazine bins.  I've been able to find a few at garage sales and Craigslist but am trying to collect 50!  

• Parent Teacher Conferences are next week, Monday to Wednesday. Hopefully you've already signed up for a spot! If not, please email me to schedule a time for your conference!

• Fall Parties are on October 31st. If you'd like to volunteer, a sign up genius link was sent to your email. Please sign up from from there! We need any help we can get. Students are allowed to bring a costume for the parade later in the day, however it should not take longer than 15 minutes to get changed. Remember, no masks are allowed due to school rules.

Dates to Remember:

• Monday-Wednesday, October 20-22 - Parent Teacher Conferences ~ If you have not yet signed up for a spot, please do so ASAP or email me to find another time!
• October 22 - Early Release at 1:00
• October 31 - Halloween/Fall Parties

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• Keep working on your Banana Costume project! Remember it is due on October 30th!

• LITERACY: Please read the following prompt and respond in a one page, paragraph form. Remember to construct interesting, and detailed sentences! You must use a circle and flee map. The final copy, flow map and circle map will be due next Friday, October 24th. Share with your parents!

If you could choose one food to never eat again, what would it be? Why?

• MATH: Let's practice our math facts! Play the game below for at least 15 min, 3 different times before Friday. The thing is... you have to click all the clouds! Have Mom or Dad sign in your planner that you fulfilled the requirement and I will pay you 5 PAWS.

http://www.multiplication.com/games/play/flying-high

October 13-17, 2014

• As students work through our science unit, they have shown great strides in accurately recording and demonstrating wonderful experiments. Science notebooks are a critical piece to our science studies. These notebooks integrate writing and scientific data collection and thought. Higher levels of thinking are required throughout all of our science units.

• Shark Dissection! The date for the Shark Dissection has been moved to Wednesday, October 15th, weather permitting. Students should wear old clothes that they don't mind smelling a bit like fish that day. An old shirt over regular clothes works great as well!

• We still need helpers for our shark dissection! If you're able to and aren't squeamish about dissecting, we'd love to have your help! I don't need as many helpers for my own class, but may need parents for the other two classes' dissections Please send a signed note back with your student if you can help!
• Nisely: 1:00-1:45
• Russ: 1:50-2:35
• Wiley: 2:35-3:10
  

Dates to Remember:

• October 13-17 - Book Fair
• Monday-Wednesday, October 20-22 - Parent Teacher Conferences ~ If you have not yet signed up for a spot, please do so ASAP or email me to find another time!
• October 22 - Early Release at 1:00
• October 31 - Halloween/Fall Party

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Science:

Please watch the following youtube link before Wednesday!

SHARK DEMO VIDEO

Social Studies:

Look at the image below.  Observe it closely.  Write 4 open and 4 closed questions.  Please type your questions and share them with me via google docs or as an attachment via email.  

A CLOSED question: ·         Can be answered with a yes or no answer ·         Can be answered with one word,  a short phrase, or a simple sentence ·         Can be answered quickly ·         Has one correct answer ·         The answer doesn’t encourage further conversation on the topic ·         Answers are usually short and concise

An OPEN question: ·         Requires an explanation ·         Can be answered with a list, more than one sentence, a paragraph, or even an entire essay ·         Often require a deeper, lengthier response ·         Can have more than one “right” answer ·         They encourage further conversation on the topic

This is an ongoing assignment and is due on Thursday, October 30th

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 31st. 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 31st, we will share our stories while we enjoy banana splits (with new, different bananas of course!). Attached you will find a rubric that will be used to grade you project.

Remember:

• Everything should be typed in 12 point, Times New Roman font.
• This story should be a minimum of 1 page, double spaced

October 6th - 10th, 2014

• As students work through our science unit,  they have shown great strides in accurately recording and demonstrating wonderful experiments.  Science notebooks are a critical piece to our science studies.  These notebooks integrate writing and scientific data collection and thought. Higher levels of thinking are required throughout all of our science units.
• Dissecting Sharks!: Students will use science note booking and dissecting sharks  coming Friday, October 10th, weather permitting. Students should wear old clothes that day. An old shirt over regular clothes would be helpful. 

• HELP NEEDED: dissecting sharks with students on Friday, October 10th. Nisely's class:  1:00-1:45,  Wiley's class:  1:50-2:35, Russ' class: 2:35-3:10.

• Parent-Teacher conferences will be Monday, October 20^th , Tuesday, October 21st, Wednesday, October 22nd.  If you haven't already signed up for a time, please email me.
• Cookie Dough Delivery on Thursday, October 9^th. Limo ride is Friday, October 10th from 1:00-3:00.
• Early Release Day:  This Wednesday, October 22nd at 1:00.
• Fall Party: Friday, October 31st

1. This assignment is on going and due on Thursday, October 30th.

  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.

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