Math Help

To review for our upcoming geometry test, your child can use the math games on the IXL 4th Grade Math Games link. When you get to the menu page, scroll down to the Geometry section. Games P1, P2, P3, P5, P6, P27, P17 and P18 are particularly helpful.

Week Five

One month has already flown by! This week, we started a new reading log format where we are learning to write a longer response. We have discussed how to go about this week long assignment, bullet point by bullet point, and students are expected to turn in the assignment on Monday for review.

We are putting the finishing touches to our first publish piece and will take our first math test next week. Here are the details:

• We are leaving the Personal Narratives unit after a quick writing cycle. Students are taking home their published pieces this weekend for final touches and review.  Please ask your child to show you his/ her story.
• Our next unit is Personal Persuasive Essays. Students will learn the five paragraph essay format as we write about an idea we believe in. It is our goal to convince others to believe in the same ideas by presenting reasons and evidence for the validity of our claims.
• The first math unit is nearly complete and we will have the unit test on Wednesday. Students will receive a study sheet on Monday. Please review it with your child, going over any questions your child may have struggled with.
• We are finishing up our work with map skills. Please notice that there is a Social Studies web link for New York State Maps on our blog.  Soon we will begin studying Native Americans of New York, starting with our trip to Old Stone House in two weeks. We currently have four chaperones for this trip. Chaperones will receive a letter with further instructions this week.
• Family Friday will take place this Friday. Your child has a letter regarding this monthly event. We need volunteers to lead these sessions. In the past, we've had parents come share a craft or interest with the group which causes much excitement!
• Please note the previous blog about ordering Scholastic books online. Please note that our class code is HHRTL. The close date for ordering from the September catalogs is September 30, this Sunday.

Have a sunny weekend!

Scholastic Book Orders

For families who want to take advantage of the bonuses that come with placing a Scholastic order online, our class code is HHRTL. You can access the website to order by going to www.scholastic.com.

Week Four

As you may have noticed, we have been skipping around in our Everyday Math homework book. Due to the changes in our curriculum, we will need to move some lessons out of sequence in order to best prepare our students for the State tests. We have also needed to supplement the math work with worksheets from another program in order to cover all the standards of the fourth grade Core Curriculum.

• We are going to make a physical map of New York State  and we need your help. A letter went home today with instructions for making salt dough. This is a quick and easy recipe. I demonstrated how to do it to the kids and they are super excited! We would also like to thank Mrs. Au, who donated many 9x12" cardboard pieces for the backing of our maps. We currently have 18 pieces and will need at least six more. 
• On Monday, students will begin a new morning procedure. Similar to the routine from last year, students will be sent to the MMr through the Windsor Place entrance at the sound of a bell at 8:30. At 8:37, students will walk to their classroom by themselves. 
• Please continue to initial reading logs daily and sign your child's homework sheet at the end of the week. The reading logs are being collected on Mondays for review. 
• Schools will be closed on Wednesday for Yom Kippur. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Coming Week 3

Our first full week is over and we have made much progress in transitioning into fourth grade. We began cursive penmanship, Writing Workshop, Math Workshop and Social Studies. As we come to the third week, here are some things of note:

• Please review your child's homework sheet during the weekend. I've noted on the sheet any missing assignments. Encourage your child to check off assignments as they are completed so there aren't any forgotten assignments. Occasionally there will be comments to help keep you updated about your child's progress. 
• On the original supply list, there was a request for $5 dollars to purchase a New York Studies subscription. That subscription will now be for National Geographic (also $5.00), which will support our work later in the year when students write non fiction books about a science topic of their choosing.
• In preparation for an upcoming project, I am asking families to donate sturdy cardboard pieces that are pre-cut to 9x12 inches. Please send in the cardboard by September 24. This project will also require salt dough to be made at home. Salt dough is made from salt, flour and water. Please keep this in mind as you grocery shop :)
• Please note that all the Armory Dates for this year are entered into our class calendar.
• We began our Social Studies Unit on the Geography of New York. We have started by reviewing basic map skills and will look at various maps to learn about our state and how its landforms affect they way we live.

Finally, if you are interested in being class parent, please let Debby Wattenbarger know. We already have one volunteer, Mrs. Au (yay!). The class parents will assist with creating a classroom directory, helping to facilitate communication to families, etc.

Have a wonderful weekend and Happy New Year to our families celebrating Rosh Hashanah! Please note that school will be closed during Monday and Tuesday. 

Week 1/2

Thank you, 4-303 families!
The new year has just started and we are in the process of getting acquainted with each other and our new routines.  I appreciate the smiles, patience, and cooperation from our children and those who love them.

 We decided on some rules that will help us get along and have a fun time this year. These rules are general and we've discussed how it can be applied to a given situation. Naturally, this is a living document and will probably change throughout the year.

Here are some details about our class and the upcoming week:

• Our first read aloud this year is No Talking by Andrew Clements. This realistic fiction story follows a group of fifth graders as they undertake a unique social experiment. Themes of gender bias, social change and cooperation are explored through this story. This read aloud will also be the mentor text for our first reading unit, Creating a Reading Life. During the read aloud, students will practice turn & talk strategies, creating ideas through gathering details, and using a Readers Notebook to facilitate in depth thinking.
• Starting Monday, we will begin our reading log routine. Please keep an eye out for the sheet in your child's homework folder. Help your child get into a routine of reading with stamina. Fourth graders are expected to read at least 45 minutes at home. It is best to read for 45 minutes straight through but if you do not have that stretch of time, it would be prudent to separate the 45 minutes into chunks.
• We will begin working in our Writer's Notebook. Our first unit, Improving the Quality of our Writing: Personal Narratives, will have students reviewing strategies for creating short stories that have a beginning, middle and end. We will look at ways writers elaborate through details and dialogue. A challenge for our writers will be to write a narrative with a theme or  significance for the audience. To start this unit, please help your child gather pictures and decorations for the cover of the Writers Notebook.
• Our Math unit will be a quick study of Geometric Figures. We will define lines, rays and plane shapes by attributes such as sides and angles. There was a letter that went home this Friday with instructions for dealing with answer pages in the Study Links workbook. We are looking into getting a second copy of the Student Reference Book for each child to keep at home. In the meantime, please use the links to the Every Day Math site on the left side of this blog.
• Fourth grade social studies will center around New York. We will start with the geography of our state by studying maps of New York State.

Finally, our cluster schedule looks like this:

• Monday: Physical Education, period 7 with Ms. Ussery
• Tuesday: Computers, period 3 with Mrs. Pattison
• Wednesday: Science, period 2 with Mrs. David (formerly Ms. Hanson)
• Thursday: Art, period 1 with Ms. Kelly
• Friday: Science,  period with Mrs. David

Whew! Thanks for checking in!
Have a fabulous weekend!

Beginning the Year

Happy Labor Day weekend to everyone! Many families will use this time to shop for the new school year so here's a reminder of the supplies needed for this year and when it should be brought in to the classroom.

 

For Thursday, September 6th:

 

8    Black and white Mead Marble  notebooks,   

      100+ pages (including 1 for Science class)

 2    Sharpie Ultrafine markers, black

 8      plastic/vinyl two pocket folders

        w/fasteners

For Friday, Sept. 7th:

4      Dozen #2 pencils  

4      large Elmer’s Glue stick

1      Set of Eraser caps/ pencil toppers

 1     8ct conical tip Crayola Washable markers   

        classic  colors (thick)

 1      24ct or higher full- length color pencils

 4    3x3 yellow self-stick notes, lined

 6     boxes of Kleenex facial tissues

        (for class and cluster classes)

For Monday, September 10th:

1       5” blunt child safety scissors

4      rolls of Bounty paper towels

 2       Wet Ones Hand wipes

 1       10 ct 2 gallon size storage/freezer   

           Ziploc bags

 1       Ziploc Sandwich bags

 1        pack wide rule looseleaf paper

For Tuesday, Sept. 11th:

1       yellow legal pads

 1       Uniball fine line rolling writer

          (for Art class)

 1        roll Scotch tape

 1      pencil sharpener with receptacle

 $5.00 for National Geographic subscription

 1      bottle Fantastik surface cleaner

        (for Computers class)

Happy shopping!