Weekly Newsletter, March 5-9

Weekly Highlights:

March 7: Mayor Pratt visits Grade 4
March 7: World Read Aloud Day
March 9: Class Pictures at 2:15 PM

Looking Ahead:
March 12 & 13: MSA Reading, 9:30
March 16 & 19: MSA Math, 9:30

*Mrs. Sagona has challenged the school to read 1 million minutes by May 15. If the students and teachers reach the goal, each class will earn an ice cream party and an additional recess. Students should continue to read each night for 20 minutes (at least) and record this information on their reading logs. We continue to record the minutes we read each day in school on the log as well.

*In Janaury, Ms. Hudson's reading class read  20,000 minutes.  In February, we read 45,000 minutes!  Keep up the great work. Students should record EVERY minute they read on their reading logs each day in class and at home, in the car, at soccer practice, in the dentist office.....everywhere they read!  Listening to books on tape count as well.

Math 4:
Mathematics is the study of patterns and relationships. In this unit, students explore the patterns that exist in the multiplication and division of multi-digit numbers and within the measurement system for time.

In Grade 3, students multiplied multi-digit by single digit numbers and practiced a variety of strategies for multiplication and division. Earlier in Grade 4, students developed fluency with single digit multiplication and division and applied their knowledge of factors and multiples to whole numbers and fractions. In this unit, students examine the patterns in multiples of ten and the inverse patterns that occur in division. They refine and apply the strategies learned in Grade 3 to multiply multi-digit numbers and divide multi-digit by single digit numbers. Students also recognize that the context of a division problem determines how any remainder will be used.

Grade 3 students learned to tell time to the minute and to determine elapsed time using clocks and calendars. In this unit, students tell time to the second and investigate equivalent periods of time. They determine elapsed time without the use of manipulatives and use elapsed time to determine start and end times.


THIS WEEK: Students will begin this week by estimating products to determine the reasonableness of answers. We will use the bottle caps that Green Team has been collecting to determine an estimate of how many bottle caps we have total, how many per color, how many we have used in our projects, and how many we will need for our next mural project.  We will then move into division strategies.  We will use cubes to divide into equal parts.  We will draw pictures to show equal parts.  We will also learn the traditional algorithm.  Be sure to continue practicing those basic facts at home!


http://www.multiplication.com/

We continue to use the Khan academy website to help practice our math at home.  This is a great site where students (if a login is created) can track their progress and have example problems to work on.  It has been featured in CNN as an up and coming way for teachers to assess individual students learning.

http://www.khanacademy.org/


Social Studies:
Students in fourth grade are making connections from the past to the present to establish critera to create change. Our week will begin with an examination of important events in American immigration.  We will then have a visit from Mayor Pratts.  He will discuss his job, why governement is important, and how individual citizens can create change/participate in their government.  Students will identify something in their community or world that they would like to change and discuss ways that they can make a difference.  This will lead to opitonal participation in an essay contest "If I Were Mayor I Would..." a statewide competition open to fourth graders.

For more information on the contest, visit the link below:

http://mdmunicipal.org/index.aspx?NID=168


Reading:

Our skill focus this week will be cause/effect relationships that are stated or implied. The first strategy is to identify the cause when given the effect. The second strategy is to analyze the relationship between cause and effect when given both. The higher order thinking strategy is to share cause and effect relationships and determine whether they are literal (in the book) or inferred (in one's head)

We will then move on to discuss characterization.  We will focus on how characters relate to one another, how character's actions can show their true feelings, and synonyms for various traits as well as classic examples of people who possess those qualities. 

Some examples are:

Louis Armstrong was a tolerant person.  A synonym for tolerant is understanding.

The White Witch of Narnia was mischievous.  A synonym for mischievous is naughty.

Lord Volermort was malicious.  A synonym for malicious is evil.




READING HOMEWORK: Students are asked to read 20 minutes each night at home and record on their reading log. This is an independent book of their choosing. They are then asked to prepare for a book talk on Fridays. They should bring the book and be able to tell us something about the book (other than just a summary). A paper copy of these directions was given to students.  They should complete the paper to turn in as well!


Some examples are:

*What is your favorite part of the book? Why?

*Why did you choose to read this book?

*Who would you recommend reading this book? Why?

*What characters are you most like? Why?

*Are you going to continue to read this book or will you abandon it? Why?

*Can you share a favorite part of the story with us? Why?

*Who is your least favorite character? Why?

*Would you act the same way as the character? Why?



Writing:

Students will begin to develop writing projects for quarter 3. This week's focus from the 6 traits of writing will be SENTENCE FLUENCY.


A link to a website for additional information on the 6 Traits is below:
http://www.edina.k12.mn.us/concord/teacherlinks/sixtraits/sixtraits.html



Spelling:
Sort 12 will focus on adjective suffixes -ful, -ous, and -ious. These suffixes suggest "full of" or "having the qualities of." Our spelling test for this sort will be on Friday, March 9.



A great resource we found includes other ways for students to practice their spelling, even some apps for devices. The spelling activities that we suggested in the students spelling journals are just suggestions. Please feel free to adapt as your child needs to.


http://support.weta.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=43183.0&dlv_id=48444