Week of February 17th - February 21st

This week, we will be testing on Unit 4 in Reading. There will be no Spelling or Selection tests.

We will also be starting Chapter 7 in Math, Dividing. Last Friday, we did a few fun Valentine's centers with division, prime/composite numbers, and fractions. It was a great 'refresher' for the students, as we will be getting more in depth with these concepts in the upcoming weeks.

The students have made GREAT progress in Reflex Math. I am very proud of them!
We began the program at the beginning of December. In that short amount of time, my students have gained fluency in basic multiplication/division facts at an awesome rate!

Here are the classroom stats so far:
As a class, we are 73% fluent on our facts! We have solved 114,000 math problems! That's HUGE!

This was the starting fluency of my classroom... Look where we're at now!

Currently, there are six students who are 70+ % fluent, one student at 80+% fluency, seven students at 90+% fluency, and two students who have hit the 100% fluency mark with basic multiplication/division facts through 12. 

Week of January 2nd-3rd and January 6th-10th

I hope everyone is having a relaxing holiday break. I can't believe 2014 is a couple days away!

I want to thank you all for a great first half of the school year. It certainly has flown by!

I have enjoyed sharing it with your child and I absolutely love fourth grade!

This week (Thursday & Friday) AND next week we will been reading
"The Great Kapok Tree".

Here are the skills/strategies for this story:

Genre: Fantasy

Comprehension Skill: Generalize

Comprehension Strategy: Story Structure

Comprehension Review Skill: Author's Purpose

Vocabulary: Word Structure

Spelling workbooks will be due next Friday, January 10th.

We will be researching rainforests and will be creating our own newscast movie about rainforests. If your child asks to bring in props, it's most likely for the project.  Also, your child may tell you they can't wear green/turquoise/yellow this week. This is because we will be recording in front of a green screen. :) We will begin our study of rainforests this week, and get more into the reading series story next week.

Week of December 16th-20th

Wow! The holidays are fast approaching! This week, we WILL NOT be doing a story from our Reading series. There will not be a Spelling test this week either. We will be reading the novel:

We will be reviewing skills such as character traits, cause & effect, visualization, and more as we read this story throughout the week.

On Thursday, December 19th we will have a holiday celebration in our classroom. We will be making crafts in the morning and playing board games in the afternoon. Your child may bring in their favorite board game. On Friday, we will be enjoying holiday activities and will participate in a holiday sing-a-long with the entire school. 

In Math, we will be testing Chapter 4 on Wednesday. We will not begin Chapter 5 until we return from the holiday break.

Week of Dec 3rd - Dec 6th

Here is the reading information for this week:

This week we will be reading "How Night Came From The Sea". Here are the skills/strategies for this story:
Genre: Pourquoi Tale
Comprehension Skill: Generalize
Comprehension Strategy: Visualize
Comprehension Review Skill: Cause and Effect
Vocabulary: Context Clues

Students are completing their Genre Mystery Puzzles this week. Due on the 3rd is the sheet with the puzzle pieces. ALL pieces should be colored and handed in then. On the 6th, I will collect the completed packet. If your child wants to hand it in earlier, he/she may do so.

Upcoming Events:

Dec. 11th is the Holiday concert at the High School.

It's Turkey Time!

Holy smokes, it's already Thanksgiving! Where has this year gone? This week we are reading Squanto, Friend of the Pilgrims. We will discuss story elements, including plot, characters and setting. We'll also discuss sequencing, cause/effect, and summarizing with this story.

There will not be a spelling test or selection test this week.

I wish everyone a blessed Thanksgiving with family and friends. I'm so very thankful for so many things... including the time I get to share with your child each day!

Just a reminder: Wednesday is a half day! :)

A "short" week ~ Conferences!

This week we have been testing Unit 2 in Reading. I can't believe we've finished another unit! The school year is certainly flying by. Next week, we will begin Unit 3.

In Math, we are learning multiplication facts and division. Please continue working with your child on these facts each night. It is very important that they know them for future success in Math.

Conferences are Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. If you are unable to keep your scheduled conference time, please let me know.

This week the students are also researching future career choices. They will be using their research to create an infographic.

Week of October 21st-25th

Here is this weeks reading information:

This week we will been reading "Marven of the Great North Woods". Here are the skills/strategies for this story:
Genre: Biography
Comprehension Skill: Fact & Opinion
Comprehension Strategy: Monitor & Fix Up
Comprehension Review Skill: Main Idea
Vocabulary: Dictionary/Glossary

Thank you for the donations toward the Jamaica trip. Look at these kiddos! THEY are making a mark WITH Jayden and I-- Look at all of the donations they brought in. I can't wait to share my experiences with this group- how THEY are helping to make a difference and impact the lives of many! 

Upcoming Events:
Pumpkin Project - DUE Wednesday
Picture Day- Friday, October 25th.
November 6, 7, 8th- Half Days/Parent Conferences