Dec. 11 to Dec. 19, 2023

                                         

Here we are, ready to enjoy our last weeks of 4th grade in 2023!  This week will include our ice cream math party, and next we look forward to playing Rocky's Jingle Bingo!  Wishing you a all a wonderful winter break with lots of fun and relaxation!  

Our last weeks of 2023 will include the following:

READING:

-We are focusing on inference skills during our reading lessons.  Students will use facts and evidence to make a conclusion or give an opinion based on what they already know. 

-Word Work study will include lessons on short and long e vowel patterns in 2 syllable words.  Students will bring home a study guide on Monday for the spelling test on Friday, Dec. 15.

40 Book Challenge:   Students should be at 18 to 20 books by the end of December to be in line with the 40 book challenge.  If students are able to read and document 1 book per week, they will be able to reach the 40 book goal.

*Remember to read for 20 to 40 minutes each day at home for daily reading homework.  Make sure to spend time reading over winter break!

WRITING:

Students will write responses to December writing prompts using correct punctuation, grammar, and spelling.

*Students have access to Typing Club to develop their keyboarding skills, and they continue reviewing cursive to develop their handwriting skills.

MATH:

- We continue to study and learn about fractions and decimals.  Lessons include games, activities, and workbook pages to practice fraction and decimal concepts.

*Math HOMEWORK: 
Dec. 11 to Dec. 13
Homework will come home on Monday and will be due on Wednesday.
Homework will come home on Wednesday and will be due on Friday.

*Note:  No homework will be assigned the week of Dec. 18.

*Continue to study and review multiplication and division facts to develop and maintain fact fluency.

Science/Health:

Our lessons include the study of sound waves and how they are used for animal communication.  This week, students will do a mini research project by creating a slide-show to share information about an animal presented in one of our science resource books.

Social Studies:

Students are learning about the Eastern region of the United States by studying the states and capitals, climate, land forms, economy, and history of this region.  Students will have a test on the Eastern states and capitals Tuesday, Dec. 19.  (Students will bring home a study guide to help them learn the states and capitals.  There are also links on this blog to assist students with studying.)

ART:

Our winter wonderland decorations are on display in our classroom along with winter lights to brighten the dark days. 

This week, students will create a winter family surprise, and students will bring these home before break.  

                                     

Students have completed their first trimester in 4th grade with tremendous success!  We are ready for the 2nd trimester to continue our great growth in 4th grade.   This week, we look forward to the Maple Grove Firefighters visiting us on Tuesday afternoon to announce the fire safety poster contest winners.

Other learning and activities for the week will include the following:  

READING:

- This week, students will take the Unit 2 Benchmark test that focuses on sequencing and personal narratives.  The next unit will focus on inference skills and historical fiction.

- Word Work - The vocabulary for this week includes words using the Latin root "sect". Students will receive a study guide for the quiz on the "sect" words on Monday.  The quiz will be on Friday, Dec. 8

-We continue to read daily for our 40 book challenge.   Students should be at 17 to 20 books by the end of December to be in line with the 40 book challenge.  If students are able to read and document one book per week, they will be able to reach the 40 book goal.

*Remember to read for 20 to 40 minutes each day at home for daily reading homework.

WRITING:

Students have completed their"How To" story using sequencing words.   This week, students will write in response to December writing prompts using the four square planning method to organize  and complete writing.

*Students have access to Typing Club to develop and hone their keyboarding skills, and they continue reviewing cursive to develop their handwriting skills.

MATH:

- We continue to develop our understanding of fractions including working with mixed numbers and improper fractions.  This week, we will study equivalent fractions along with comparing, adding, and subtracting fractions.

- Many students have demonstrated mastery of multiplication facts by passing the 5 minute timed test with 95% accuracy or better.  We continue taking a one minute and five minute timed tests to develop speed and efficiency with multiplication.  

*Math HOMEWORK: 
Dec. 4 to Dec. 8
Homework will come home on Monday and will be due on Wednesday.
Homework will come home on Wednesday and will be due on Friday.

Science:
We continue to study transverse and longitudinal waves and how animals use sounds to communicate.  Students will work with a sound simulator to study waves and change the pitch and volume to create different types of waves.

ART:
Students will create winter folk art trees using water colors and back markers during Friday´s art lesson.

Nov. 27 to Nov. 30, 2023

 

Welcome back after the Thanksgiving break!  Students listened so well and gained a wealth of new knowledge on Nov. 20  as we spent time with the Elm Creek Naturalist learning orienteering skill.  To top off the week before Thanksgiving, the fourth graders were the best buddies and teachers to our first grade buddy class as we created Thanksgiving decorations.  Now, we are ready for the last week of the fall trimester.
*Remember, no school on Friday, Dec. 1,  due to report card marking day for staff.

As posted in the last blog update, here are reminders if your child will be absent for the day:
1.  Make sure to let the office know either with an email or through ParentVUE.
2.  Contact me if you would like homework sent home with a sibling or another student.  Another option that you may request is for homework to be ready to be picked up in the office at 1:30 or the end of the day.  
*If you do not request homework, I'll send home the work with your child when they return to school.  

Our week will include the following:  

READING:

- Our focus this week will be reading fluency as we review sequencing skills while reading a readers´ theater story.  We will complete Unit 2 in the Benchmark curriculum, and the test for this unit is scheduled for next week.  

- Word Work - Students will work on words with long and short a patterns.  Students will bring home a list to help them study on Monday, Nov. 27, and the test will be on Thursday, Nov. 30.

-We continue to read daily for our 40 book challenge.   Students should be at 13 to 14 books by the end of the fall trimester to be in line with the 40 book challenge.  If students are able to read and document 1 book per week, they will be able to reach the 40 book goal.

*Remember to read for 20 to 40 minutes each day at home for daily reading homework.

WRITING:

 Students will complete their  "How To" story using sequencing words. Stories will include an introduction, materials needed,  step-by-step instructions, and a conclusion.  

*Students have access to Typing Club to develop and hone their keyboarding skills, and they continue reviewing cursive to develop their handwriting skills.

MATH:

- We are working on fractions including mixed numbers and improper fractions.  This week, we will use geoboards to explore and create fractions and find equivalent fractions.

- Many students have demonstrated mastery of multiplication facts by passing the 5 minute timed test with 95% accuracy or better.  We continue taking a one minute and five minute timed tests to develop speed and efficiency with multiplication.  

- Ms. Wilder will work with students on Wednesday as they solve and complete Concept Quest problems.  This week, students will begin to work on problems that will focus on the fraction concepts they are learning during our math lessons

*Math HOMEWORK: 
Nov. 27 to Nov. 30
Homework will come home on Monday and will be due on Wednesday.
(No Homework on Wednesday due to the short week.)

*CONTINUE TO STUDY MULTIPLICATION FACTS IF YOUR CHILD NEEDS TO PASS THE 5 MINUTE TIMED TEST.

Science
Our new science unit is titled ¨Waves, Energy, and Information.¨ We will study sound waves and patterns of sound waves as we learn about dolphin communication.

ART:
Students will create winter decorations and display them with winter lights to brighten up our classroom as we near the winter solstice on Dec. 21. 

Nov. 13 to Nov. 22, 2023

                         

Hooray for a week of warmer weather and right in time for our class to enjoy an extra recess as we are very close to earning a class reward time!  We plan to have this reward time on Wednesday, Nov. 15.

When the weather turns cooler, please assist your child to be prepared for outside recess with a warm jacket, hat, and mittens.  Also, remember snow pants and boots for snowy days that are sure to come!

We took time this week to review our fall goals, and students each received a copy to bring home in their take-home folders.  Students also have a copy of their goals in their save folder to review and assess their goal progress throughout the year.

Here are a few reminders if your child will be absent for the day:
1.  Make sure to let the office know either with an email or through ParentVUE.
2.  Contact me if you would like homework sent home with a sibling or another student.  Another option that you may request is for homework to be ready to be picked up in the office at 1:30 or the end of the day.  
*If you do not request homework, I'll send home the work with your child when they return to school.  

Please read and review the information below to learn about what we'll be working on between now and Thanksgiving:

READING:

- Our lessons will focus on sequencing and determining text importance.   

-Word work this week includes lessons on words using the Latin root "ject" which means "to throw".  Students will work on words throughout the week, and the quiz will be on Friday, Nov. 17.  Watch for a list of words coming home in your child's take-home folder.

-We continue to read daily for our 40 book challenge.   Students should be at 12 books by the end of November to be in line with the 40 book challenge.  If students are able to read and document 1 book per week, they will be able to reach the 40 book goal.

*Remember to read for 20 to 40 minutes each day at home for daily reading homework.

WRITING:

 Students are completing ¨The Story of My Name¨ essays, and students will choose November writing prompts during our writing time while using the four-square writing process to pre-write and develop their writing responses.  

*Students have access to Typing Club to develop and hone their keyboarding skills, and they continue reviewing cursive to develop their handwriting skills.

MATH:

- The Unit 2 math test will be on Tuesday, Nov. 14.  We will begin Chapter 3 this week, and this chapter will include lessons on fractions and mixed numbers.

- Many students have demonstrated mastery of multiplication facts by passing the 5 minute timed test with 95% accuracy or better.  We continue taking the five minute timed tests to develop speed and efficiency with multiplication.  

- We'll explore Concept Quest math enrichment problems on Wednesday with Mrs. Wilder.

*Math HOMEWORK: 
Nov. 13 to Nov. 17
Homework will come home on Monday and will be due on Wednesday.
Homework will come home on Wednesday and will be due on Friday.  

Nov. 20 to Nov. 22
Homework will come home on Monday and will be due on Wednesday.
*STUDY MULTIPLICATION FACTS IF YOUR CHILD NEEDS TO PASS THE 5 MINUTE TIMED TEST.

Social Studies/Science
We are completing the unit on geography, and the test will be on Thursday, Nov. 16.  Students received a study guide to bring home to assist with studying for this test.  Please assist your child in reviewing the concepts for the test on Thursday. Also, their is a link on this blog for an on-line practice in locating the continents and oceans of the world.

Other lessons include learning to access map locations with latitude and longitude. 

*Note:  The naturalist time was cancelled on Thursday, Nov. 10.  This is now rescheduled for Monday, Nov. 20.

*Art and Social Studies:
Students will work to complete a fantasy country or state map using the parts of the map that we have been studying in class.  (Title, orientation, date, author, and legend/key)

Nov. 6 to Nov. 10, 2023

                                 

Last week, everyone enjoyed celebrating PJ Day, sharing about their Halloween adventures,  and our bingo and books buddy class activity.  The 4th Graders were great leaders and mentors with our first-grade buddies as they played bingo and read stories!  I'm always proud of their exceptional leadership with the younger students!

This week, we have two fourth grade in-school events.  On Thursday, the Elm Creek Naturalist will be here to work with 4th graders in our Rush Creek Nature Area, and on Friday, 4th graders will participate in a bird house building workshop.  We look forward to these special events.

We will take time during this week to review the fall goals from October conferences.  Please look for a copy of your child´s goal coming home in the Wednesday folder.

*Reminder:  Continue to check and sign your student´s planner each night.  Your support with homework for math and reading is greatly appreciated!

*Remember, no school on Tuesday, Nov. 7, due to teacher workshops and the local bond referendum for Osseo Area School District #279.  For information on the upcoming bond referendum, here is the link:   Referendum Info. Link 

Here are other areas of study for the week.

READING:

- Students will take the Unit 1 reading test on Monday, Nov. 6 on main idea, details, and elements of a biography.  Our lessons for the rest of the week will focus on sequencing and determining text importance.   

-Word work this week continues to focus on challenging plurals, and the test has been moved to Wednesday, Nov. 8.  Next week, word work will continue with a new Latin root.

-40 Book Challenge!  Students can bring their notebooks home to complete summary entries, and students should be at 12 to 13 books or more by the end of November to be on-track for the challenge.

*Remember to read for 20 to 40 minutes each day at home for daily reading homework.

WRITING:

Our next project will be to complete an essay titled ¨The Story of My Name¨.  A planning page will come home on Monday, Nov. 6, and should be completed by November 8 or 9 so that students can complete their final copy during class writing time.

Students will also use November writing prompts for daily and weekly writing practice during independent work time.

*Students continue to have time to work in Typing.com to develop and hone  keyboarding skills, and they continue reviewing cursive to develop their handwriting skills.

MATH:

- Division with remainders is the focus for the week, and students will participate in activities and games to develop this concept.  We'll begin to review Unit 2 next week, and the Unit 2 test is scheduled for next week as well.

- Students continue to work on speed for their multiplication facts.  Any extra practice at home is greatly appreciated.  We hope to have our class ice cream sundae party to celebrate our fact mastery sometime in November or December!  

- We'll continue to explore Concept Quest on Wednesdays with Mrs. Wilder.  Students can also bring Concept Quest work and problems home to complete any of the problems they may not have had time to do in school.

*Math HOMEWORK: 
Homework will come home on Monday and will be due on Wednesday.
Homework will come home on Wednesday and will be due on Friday.  

 

Social Studies/TAG Enrichment Time
Mrs. Vogler will work with our class on Monday, Nov. 6, for TAG enrichment during our Social Studies time.  

Our Social Studies lessons will focus on map skills including parts of a map and types of maps.  Students are creating a special booklet with all of the geography information we are working on in class.  On Friday, students will bring home a review for the Social Studies geography test next week.  The exact date for the test will be posted on the review.

ART:
Our art lesson/project this week will be constructing the bird house with the specialist coming to work with all 4th grade classes.  Watch for student made bird houses coming home!

October 30 to November 3, 2023

                                       

This week, 4th graders will participate in so many fun events!  We are looking forward to PJ day on Oct. 31!  We also plan to meet with our first grade buddies on Tuesday for buddy class fun. Remember, too, that Fire Safety Posters are due on October 30, and the Maple Grove Fire Department will pick them up on Tuesday morning, Oct. 31. Students have been working hard on their posters in class, and their creativity and artistic talents are shining through!  

Our class earned and enjoyed another reward party. So, on Friday, Oct. 27, we had ice cream and a movie!  We love celebrating our hard work, respectful friendships, and best behavior with extra reward time!  This class is doing AMAZING work!  

We are ready for November with continued growth and learning during the last month of the trimester.    Here's what we have planned for the week.

READING:

- Students will continue to read biographies using main idea and details while also participating in a reader's theater to work on fluency.  Students are now working in small groups for guided reading instruction during our language arts block.  

-Word work this week will review challenging  plurals, and a word list will come home on Monday, Oct. 30.  We´ll study the words through the week, and students will have a spelling test on these words on Friday, Nov. 3. 

-We continue to read daily for our 40 book challenge.   By the end of October, the goal is to have 8 books completed, and students should be at 12 books by the end of November to be in line with the 40 book challenge.  If students are able to read and document 1 book per week, they will be able to reach the 40 book goal.

*Remember to read for 20 to 40 minutes each day at home for daily reading homework.

WRITING:

As we complete our personal narratives, we´ll also complete daily writing using November writing prompts.

*Students have access to Typing Club to develop and hone our keyboarding skills, and they are practicing cursive to develop their handwriting skills.

MATH:

- Our lessons this week include continued studies of multiplication strategies, multiplying with money, and dividing with remainders.

- We continue taking a one minute and five minute daily timed test to develop speed and efficiency with multiplication.  

- We'll continue to explore Concept Quest, a problem solving enrichment program that students will have the opportunity to participate in throughout the year.  

*Math HOMEWORK: 
Homework will come home on Monday and will be due on Wednesday.
Homework will come home on Wednesday and will be due on Friday.  

 

Social Studies/Science
We have completed the unit in science titled Earth Features, and the test will be coming home in Wednesday folders.
During the next weeks, our focus will be on Social Studies skills.  Social Studies during this week will include geography lessons on map skills as students study maps and complete a geography booklet.

ART:
Students will work with Mrs. Hehn this week to create an artwork during our weekly art rotation.

Oct. 16 to Oct. 27, 2023

                                     

The last day of conferences is on Oct. 17 before and after school.   I look forward to sharing all of the great things your child is accomplishing in 4th grade!  Thank you to all who attended, and I enjoy meeting with all of you as we work together to continue on a positive and enriching 4th grade journey.


REMEMBER:  Fire Safety booklets are due on Wednesday, Oct. 25.  Please work through the booklet with your child and sign the final page before returning it to school.

Here is what we'll be accomplishing in class between October 16 and Oct. 27.

READING:
- Lessons continue to focus on main idea and details along with the text features of biographies.   

On Wednesday, Oct. 18, we will have the spelling test on the ¨er/est¨ words.  Please study the 10 words to prepare for the test. 

Word work continues during the week of Oct. 23 with the study of the Latin root "spec", and the quiz on these words will be on Friday, Oct. 27.

-Students read daily for the 40 book challenge.   By the end of October, the goal is 8 books to be in line with the 40 book challenge.  If students are able to read and document 1 book per week, they will be able to reach the 40 book goal.

*Remember to read for 20 to 40 minutes each day at home for daily reading homework.

WRITING:

We continue with writing a 5 paragraph personal narrative. Students are using the writing process of pre-writing, creating a rough draft, editing and revising, and completing a final copy.  The final copy is being typed in Google Docs.  

*Students have access to Typing Club to develop and hone our keyboarding skills, and they are practicing cursive to develop their handwriting skills.

MATH:

- We are now taking a one minute daily timed test to develop speed and efficiency with multiplication.  Our lessons focus on multiplying larger numbers by examining area models, ratio tables, and powers of ten.

- We'll continue to explore Concept Quest, a problem solving enrichment program that students will have the opportunity to participate in throughout the year.  Our  TAG teacher, Ms Wilder, will be joining our class once a week for Concept Quest and math enrichment activities.

-October Number Corner Activities focus on decimals and fractions, place value to the millions, and multiples to 100.

*Math HOMEWORK: 
Week of Oct. 16  
-Homework will come home on Monday and will be due on Wednesday.
No homework will be assigned on Wednesday of this week.

Week of Oct. 23
Homework will come home on Monday and will be due on Wednesday.
Homework will come home on Wednesday and will be due on Friday.  

 

Science
We continue our study of Earth Features in Amplify Science.  This week, we continue to read  about and analyze different fossils to focus on how a  geologist uses observing and inferring skills.  We will have a test on this unit on Thursday, Oct. 26.  A study guide will be coming home the week of Oct. 23 with important information for this test.
*After we are done with this unit, we will focus on Social Studies by studying land forms, map skills, and the continents and oceans of the world.

ART:
Students will be creating a fire safety poster for the Maple Grove fire safety poster contest.  We will work on these in school during the next 2 weeks.  
On Friday, Oct. 27, students will work with Ms. Holst for their Friday art lesson.

October 9 to October 13, 2023

                                                 

Conferences are scheduled for Oct. 10, 12, and 17 before and after school.  Thank you for signing up, and I look forward to sharing all of the great things your child is accomplishing in 4th grade!


On Tuesday, Oct. 10, students will have a presentation by the Maple Grove Fire Department on fire safety in the home.  Students will bring home a booklet to complete at home, and this will be due the week of Oct. 23.  Also, all students will participate in the annual fire safety poster contest that is hosted by the Maple Grove Fire Department.  We will work on these posters in class.

Here are our plans for learning this week:

READING:
- This week, lessons will focus on main idea and details as we begin our reading work through the Benchmark curriculum.  Word work includes the study of comparatives and superlatives (words using ¨er¨ or ¨est¨ to compare.)
Students will receive a list of words for studying at home, and the test will be on Friday, Oct. 13.

-We continue to read daily for our 40 book challenge.   By the end of October, the goal is 8 books to be in line with the 40 book challenge.  If students are able to read and document 1 book per week, they will be able to reach the 40 book goal.

*Remember to read for 20 to 40 minutes each day at home for daily reading homework.

WRITING:

Students will continue their writing of a 5 paragraph personal narrative. Students will  use the writing process of pre-writing, creating a rough draft, editing and revising, and completing a final copy.  

We continue to use Typing Club to develop and hone our keyboarding skills, and we are working on cursive to develop our handwriting skills.

MATH:

- Students will bring home the Unit 1 test on Wednesday, Oct. 11.  This week's lessons  will develop understanding of place value, linear measures, and multiplying by powers of 10.
- We'll continue to explore Concept Quest, a problem solving enrichment program that students will have the opportunity to participate in throughout the year.
-October Number Corner Activities focus on decimals and fractions, place value to the millions, and multiples to 100.

*Math HOMEWORK:   
Homework will come home on Monday and will be due on Wednesday.
Homework will come home on Wednesday and will be due on Friday.  

Science
Students continue to work like a scientist as we observe and infer while reading the story Through the Eye of a Geologist and The Fossil Hunter´s Handbook.

ART:
We are excited in 4th grade to have art rotations on Fridays, and students will rotate to a different 4th grade teacher each week.  This Friday, October. 13, students will work with Mrs. Prin during their Friday art lesson.

  

Oct. 2 to Oct. 6, 2023

                         

Rocky's Road Race will now be on Monday, Oct. 2, and thank you for all of your support during the fundraiser!  We have celebrations planned for the week as our class has made their goal plus so much more!  We will have a movie and popcorn party on Tuesday, Oct. 3 and we will have a hat, game, and chip day on Friday, Oct. 6. Yay class!

*Reminder:  Please sign up for conferences if you have not done so. Conference days are October 10, October 12, and October 17. I look forward to meeting with all of you to share your child's great success in 4th grade and to create goals for continued success throughout the year.  

Our week will include the following:

MATH:
- Students will review and take the Unit 1 test during this week´s lessons.  Students will continue to work on enrichment math problems in Concept Quest, a problem solving supplemental program that students will have the opportunity to participate in throughout the year.
-October Number Corner Activities focus on decimals and fractions, place value to the millions, and multiples to 100.

*Math HOMEWORK:   
Homework will come home on Monday and will be due on Wednesday.
Homework will come home on Wednesday and will be due on Friday.  

Science
Our studies in Earth Features this week will include learning about rock formations, observing rocks, and studying sedimentary rocks.

READING:
- As we have completed our review on genres, we will now continue with Unit 1 in Benchmark reading.  Our focus this week will be on main idea and details.
-For word work, students will be studying the Latin root ¨man/mani¨ to develop vocabulary skills.  The study guide for these words will come home on Monday, Oct. 2, and the test will be Friday, Oct. 6.

-We continue to read daily for our 40 book challenge.   By the end of October, the goal is 8 books to be in line with the 40 book challenge.  If students are able to read and document 1 book per week, they will be able to reach the 40 book goal.

*Remember to read for 20 to 40 minutes each day at home for daily reading homework.

WRITING:
- Our next writing activity will be to write a personal narrative and to use the writing process of pre-writing, creating a rough draft, editing and revising, and completing a final copy.  Students are also using Typing Club to develop and hone keyboarding skills, and they are working on lower-case cursive letters to develop their handwriting skills.

ART:
We are excited in 4th grade to have art rotations on Fridays, and students will rotate to a different 4th grade teacher each week.  This Friday, October. 6, students will work with Mrs. Weiland during their Friday art lesson.

Students will continue to work on their contrasting hand design from the Sept. 29th lesson during the week.  This will be due on Friday, Oct. 6. 

  

Sept. 25 to Sept. 29, 2023

We are looking forward to Rocky's Road Race on Friday, Sept. 29.  Our class is doing a fantastic job with the fundraiser! If you are able to donate and have friends and relatives who would like to donate, please use the link below.  Your support is greatly appreciated:  

                              https://one.bidpal.net/rockysroadrace2023/welcome

Our class is doing amazing things in school!  Students are all working together, supporting each other, and being respectful listeners.  We're on a great trajectory of all the best in 4th grade!  Your support at home with homework, planners,  student positive behavior, and communication is always appreciated!

Here is a brief overview of what we'll be working on this week:

MATH:
- We will work on the last lessons of Unit 1 in math, and students will test on the Unit 1 math concepts towards the end next week.  We have been working on multiplication strategies and multiplication facts through games, activities, and timed tests.

- We continue daily work with ancient Egyptian Symbols, Multiples, and Inches, Feet, and Yards.

*Math HOMEWORK:   
Homework will come home on Monday that will be due on Wednesday.
Homework will come home on Wednesday that will be due on Friday.  

SCIENCE:
Our first unit in Science is titled Earth Features, and this week we will learn about geologists and how they study fossils and rock formations.

READING:
-We continue to read daily for our 40 book challenge.  

Students should have at least 4 books/entries in their reading notebooks by the end of September to be on target for the 40 book challenge.

-Our lessons this week focus on genres and comprehension strategies to use when responding to reading.  We'll complete our first word work lessons in Benchmark Word Work through lesson work in class on hyphenated words.

*Remember to read for 20 to 40 minutes each day at home for daily reading homework.

WRITING:
-The bio poems that students created are FANTASTIC!  You'll get to see them displayed in our hallway during conferences.  Students will work on September writing prompts and daily language practice.    

ART:
Students will study and examine line of various artists and will create a line design artwork using a variety of lines and colors. 
(We did not  have time for this project last week.)

  

Sept. 18 to Sept. 22, 2023

                              

Welcome Fall!

    Our class is working so well together that we will have our first reward extra recess this week!  I'm proud of their efforts and kind hearts towards one another.  We're also working with our Chromebooks daily, and we will now incorporate Chromebook activities into our lessons. 

*Reminder:  Picture day is on Thursday, Sept. 21.  Our class time is at 1:30 pm.

This is what we will be working on this week:

MATH:
- Continued daily work with ancient Egyptian Symbols, Multiples, and Inches, Feet, and Yards.
- We continue to work on factors and factor pairs and practice our computational skills with a variety of math games. 

*Math HOMEWORK:   
Homework will come home on Monday that will be due on Wednesday.
Homework will come home on Wednesday that will be due on Friday.  

Health: 
During health lessons this week,  we'll study bike, bus, and pedestrian safety as it is BUS SAFETY WEEK.

READING:
-We continue to read daily for our 40 book challenge.  Students should have at least 4 books/entries in their reading notebooks by the end of September to be in line for the 40 book challenge.
*Remember to read for 20 to 40 minutes each day at home for daily reading homework.

-This week, we´ll study the reading genres for the 40 book challenge by reading sample stories of each genre as we work with thinking maps and comprehension strategies.

-We will begin Word Work study this week.  We will alternate weeks to study Latin roots and spelling patterns through Benchmark spelling.  This week, we´ll study the Latin roots ¨ped/pedi¨.  Students will receive a study guide on Monday, and they´ll work on the words throughout the week with a final quiz on Friday.

WRITING:
-Students will work on September writing prompts and daily language practice.  We'll create a biography poem and use our Chromebooks to publish the final copy in Google Docs.  We will practice and review cursive writing.

ART:
Students will create a line design artwork to display in our classroom and a hot air balloon art project to add to our school display of hot air balloons.

  

Sept. 11 to Sept. 15, 2023

   

    We had a fantastic first full week of school.  The students are building their classroom skills by listening and cooperating, and I'm proud of their successful efforts.  I look forward to students sharing their Brown Bag biographies during the week.  Six students will share per day, and students will be able to sign up for a time on Monday, Sept. 11.  WE HAVE A GREAT CLASS!
    We are getting close to  our first reward party for getting all of the monkeys in the jar, and students are getting Rocky's Way slips for their respectful, responsible, and personal best behavior.
    Students received their Chromebooks on Friday, and we are excited to start using them in class.  Chromebooks will remain at school unless needed at home for remote learning or special projects.  During the next few weeks, we'll have lessons about Chromebook apps, usage, and expectations.  We will also use the Chromebooks for learning activities.
    Thank you for checking planners and signing them each day.  It is so helpful to have parent involvement as we continue our great learning in 4th grade.

Here are some reminders for the week:
1.  Remember to send in $5 for the cost of the student planner if you have not already done so.
2.  Order birthday books by Sept. 30. (Attachment of letter on parent email.)  
3.  Book Orders :  Please use the links and information in the email I have sent you if you are interested in ordering books.  The online orders are due by Oct. 11. 
(By November, we should fliers to send home as well as the online order forms.)  

These are other areas we'll be working on this week:

MATH:
- Continued daily work with ancient Egyptian Symbols, Multiples, and Inches, Feet, and Yards.
- We will work on factors and factor pairs and practice our computational skills with a variety of math games. 

*Math HOMEWORK WILL START THIS WEEK:   
Homework will come home on Monday that will be due on Wednesday.
Homework will come home on Wednesday that will be due on Friday.  

SOCIAL STUDIES/Health: 
We will complete our 4th grade time capsules, and in Health we'll study bike, bus, and pedestrian safety.

READING:
-Lessons this week will focus on choosing "JUST RIGHT" books, the 40 book challenge,  genres, and comprehension.
(Students will complete the aReading and Autoreading test to help determine current reading proficiency by September 15).

WRITING:
-Students will work on September writing prompts and daily language practice.  Students will write a bio-poem so we can continue to learn about one another and build class community.  We will practice and review cursive writing.

ART:
Students will complete a self portrait western style to be displayed as Westrum´s Wonderful Wranglers.

Back to School, 2023/2024

 

Hi Families,

Welcome to the 2023 -2024 School Year.    Watch for more information to come as I update this blog weekly!  I'm excited for the school year, and I plan to make this a great year filled with all the best learning and memories as we embark on our 4th grade journey.  There are always new things to learn and treasures to unfold every day, so let's get ready for a FANTASTIC YEAR!  I look forward to meeting all of you at Open House!