Monday Notes

Welcome back from the long holiday weekend!

*We started our fantasy unit today with a read aloud of Jumaniji by Chris Van Allsburg. We looked at the  traits of the genre and so far we've decided that fantasy stories have:

• events that can only be explained by magic
• magical creatures and beings such as wizards and dragons
• a hero that starts with a character flaw but becomes better through the quest
• a quest or task the hero must accomplish

While this is going on in class, please note that the class will still work with nonfiction texts throughout this year in social studies. The reading log this week will also stay focused on nonfiction reading. Your child is to continue non fiction texts independently at home while we begin fantasy in class. 

* Three Scholastic Order forms were given out today. If you are interested in ordering, please send in the order form with payment by this Friday.

*Penny Harvest is coming to an end this week. Thanks to the generosity of many families, we are currently in first place (as of last week's count) with our buddy class! 

*Please note that there will be a math test tomorrow wrapping up our work with Number sentences and multiplication / division. We went over the study sheet in class and your child should review it to get a sense of what types of problems there might be tomorrow. It is also helpful to go over the multiplication table especially the 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12 times table.

Week 12

Here's the candy/ cookie turkey we made today. Each child received an instruction sheet and the materials to make a turkey. Alas, like many turkeys this time of year, they were all gobbled up.

Girls received their green report today. Please check your daughter's report and sign the report.

* Next week, we will begin our reading work within the Fantasy genre. In this unit, we will add to the narrative work we've done earlier. We will learn the archetypes of the genre and use them to help us predict how a story may go. By examining characters and their journey, we will develop ideas about themes found in the story.

*There will be a math test on Tuesday. It will feature questions on Number sentences, multplication, division and "What's My Rule" Boxes. We will review in class and have a study sheet on Monday.

* I will be out at a planning meeting for the Brooklyn Museum on Wednesday. The fourth grade has been invited back to participate in workshops with a museum educator focusing on Exploration, our new Social Studies unit. The class' substitute will have plans to review previous learning that day.

* This upcoming Friday will be a First Friday. Please send a note with your child if you would like to lead an activity. A parent presenter would be most welcomed!

*With the change in the Word Study program, the type of homework given will be different. Today, children were introduced to the Word Hunt activity, which is basically having the children look around their environment and in their reading for words that follow the spelling rules that are studying. The purpose of this activity is to encourage children to transfer their learning to many words, not just the ones on the spelling list. The class started their Word Hunt today and have until next Thursday to finish it.

Have a happy holiday weekend!

Poll Answer

A polygon that has four congruent sides is a rhombus. A square is also a shape with four congruent sides but it wasn't a choice in our poll. Congratulations to everyone who voted, since everyone got it right!:)

Monday Addendum

Thanks for your swift response to the green reports! Almost all the boys returned the report signed.

* Our words study program will be different now than it has been in the beginning of the year. We are using the Words Their Way program. This program provides instruction based on the needs of your child. In the beginning of the year, we had each child take a spelling inventory and through that, was able to sort the class into groups. Each group will study words that match a particular area in need of instruction.
Due to this, our homework will look different. We will no longer have the word sheets. Each group will have different tasks assigned to them and a workbook. Some possible homework activities might be to have a word hunt (to find words not on the spelling list that follow the same rule) or to find the meaning of the words.

* Just a reminder: we will head to the Armory tomorrow and have double gym on Wednesday. Please have your child in the appropriate clothes for physical activity on both days.

* With Thanksgiving this weekend, there will not be additional homework other than the weekly reading response. If you are anticipating that you will be extra busy this weekend, please encourage your child to start working on the response tonight by reading for an extra 15 minutes or by starting to record on the sheet if possible.

Week 11

We end week ten with our boys receiving their Green reports today. Please review and sign the report.
Here's what to expect for the upcoming week:

* We will have our second visit to the Armory this Tuesday. Please make sure your child wears the appropriate clothes and shoes for physical activity.

*We will have Buddy PE this Wednesday with our buddies from Ms. Hanson. We read books to our buddies this Friday. We have some great young reading teachers!

*Wednesday is the last day before the Thanksgiving holiday. We will have an activity around a Thanksgiving symbol and our celebration will be in the afternoon. Each child will be asked once again to bring in a drink. That plan is to make some popcorn (the Native American treat!) and watch a movie (in preparation for the upcoming fantasy unit) How to Train Your Dragon. Additional treats are not necessary but they will not be refused if you'd like to send them :)
Have a great weekend!

Amazing Chaperones!

Our thanks go out to the ladies who made our trip to the Museum a success. Mrs. Longo, Mrs. Darneilles, Mrs. Basse, Mrs. Gurl and Ms. Julia made us feel well taken care of. These ladies helped us navigate a crowded subway and museum, creating a fun learning experience. The kids had a great time exploring the museum and it wouldn't have been possible without such fabulous helpers!

Monday Updates

*Our visit from Jacqueline Woodson was memorable. Who knew she was able to recite her books word for word from memory? We want to thank the PTA for bringing Meet the Authors to our classroom.

* I was able to finish grading the spelling test but was not able to get them into the test folders in time. Sorry for the delay and the folders will head home tomorrow.

* Chaperones for the field trip will receive a letter tomorrow. There will be instructions about Wednesday's trip. Thanks go out to our voluteers!

* If you have not returned your child's report card, please do so this week.

*Thank you for signing your daughter's progress report! Every girl had her report reviewed and signed today!

*The answer to the poll questions is that 3*(2*9)= (3*2)*9 is an example of the associative property, which means that the grouping of the factors in a multiplication equation does not matter since the product will be the same.

Week Ten

Progress reports went home this Friday for our girls. Please check the back of your daughter's green homework sheet.
Here's what coming up next week:

*Author's visit!!! Jacqueline Woodson, author of books such as The Other Side and Coming Home Soon, will be in our classroom at 10:20 on Monday.

* On Wednesday, we will have our second field trip to the American Museum of Natural History. Our class will travel by train in order to give us more time at the museum. Parent chaperones will receive a letter prior to the trip detailing our travel route and what to expect.

*Our Music program will begin on Thursday. Fourth graders will learn to play the ukulele :) The instruments will not be brought home.

*We will see our Kindergarten buddies again this Friday!
Have a lovely weekend!

Parent Teacher Conferences

It was a whirlwind but we've had our first Parent Teacher Conferences. I want to thank everyone for their feedback and support throughout the past months. It is great to know we are all working together to help our children be as successful as possible.

If you still have your child's report card, please sign and return it by Friday. If you need a copy, we can provide one for you.

Thanks! Have a relaxing Veterans Day.

Grammar Links

Please note the three new links in the Useful Websites Links ELA Links. For children who might need some extra practice in spelling and homphones, you can play with the games for both topics. The Grammar Games link will bring you to a menu of games on a variety of topics. The Idiom Game is a great way to challenge some of the higher readers. Have fun!

***** Please note that the links are now listed by subjects. I hope this makes it easier to use.

Monday notes

*Report Cards were given out today. Please look it over and if there are any questions or comments, we'll discuss it during the conferences that are scheduled tomorrow. By now every child that has requested a conference has received a note with your time on it.
You'll notice that the report cards have a new look to them. It is to better reflect the work we do in the classroom as we begin to move towards the Core Curriculum being adopted nationwide.

*Our next visit to the book fair will be on Wednesday at 2:10.

*Green progress reports were given out on Friday for the boys. Please make sure you check your son's homework folder.

*Your child should be reading nonfiction books for the majority of their independent reading time. If your child finishes a book cover to cover before the forty five minutes, it would be fine to allow time to read a just right book in fiction.

*The answer to the poll question is the key is not a part of a bar graph. Good job to the kids who answered correctly! Check out the new poll question.

Week Nine

Our thanks go to the parents who came in for First Friday today. The Native American figures were started nicely and it'll fun to see the finished product on Monday.

Some noteworthy events for next week:

* Report cards will be given out on Monday.

* We will begin our writing unit on Personal Essay. The goals of this unit is to have students write well using the five paragraph essay format. Students will produce essays with an introduction, three body paragrpahs and a conclusion. Each essay is centered around a thesis (an idea about the writer) and the proofs that support the thesis.

*There will also be an Math ITA, which is a practice standardized math test, on Monday. The results will be posted on the ARIS website. Each child received a letter on Thursday with the student id and password for log in. This test does not affect your child's testing history; it is given strictly as an assessment of your child's math skills so that we can gather data on a student's math needs.

* Parent Teacher conferences will start at 1 pm on Tuesday. That means your child will be dismissed at noon. Please make sure your child is picked up from the yard then. By 12:05, your child will be brought to the office for pick up.

*School will be closed Thursday due to Veterans Day.

* The School Book fair will be opened throughout the week. Feel free to stop by before or after Parent Teacher Conferences. The class will return to the fair on Wednesday.

Have a great weekend!

November Notes

*Please check your child's test folder today. Each child received their spelling and Unit 2 math test and placed it in the folder.

*We will be at the book fair this Friday at 11:10 am instead of the 10:40 time previously given.

*School is closed this Tuesday for Election Day. The class was given homework, the major assignment being the publishing of the Realistic Fiction piece. Most kids just need to fix their spelling and paragraphs. Some kids needed to change parts of their story so that it is more in line with what would happen in real life. Please look over the story and help your child do their best.

* We have begun a new unit in reading, Nonfiction. You'll notice that the reading log has been changed to reflect this. The focus is to look at the way we read to learn. We worked on summarizing what we are reading from page to page. Children were asked to avoid saying vague statements like "this is about how they live". Instead they are encouraged to say "This section is mostly about the Iroquois being farmers and the way they farmed" which is more specific and names who or what the text is mostly about.

*We have also begun a new Math unit. Unit 3 focuses on Multiplication; Division; Number sentences and Algebra. Please make sure your child has mastery of the multiplication facts. If you can spare two minutes each day and have your child recite a set of facts (the 7 and 8 facts are most challenging) it would be very helpful.

Thanks for your time and help. Have a great Tuesday!