Well here we are heading into the last couple of weeks of April. I don't know why, but every year, fourth quarter just seems to fly by. This post is for the next two weeks.
No School Friday, April 22th Good Friday (my daughter is coming home -yeah!)
Field Trip- The Charlotte's Web field trip is next Friday, April 29th. Return permission slips ASAP.
This Week is Earth Week - Here is what's happening...
Monday - Kids wear nature T-shirts to school. Write and place poetry on Eco Club bulletin board.
Tuesday- Work to reduce, reuse and recycle. No garbage in the trash cans! Pick-up trash in the front of the school - count the trash.
Wednesday- Waste Audit after lunches today. Assembly 2:45
Thursday - Wear White T-shirts to school today. WHOLE SCHOOL photo at the hill 2:30
Kids need to bring old crayons, batteries and cell phones to school for collection.
Scholastic Book Orders - Last day to order is Thursday April 21st.
No School Monday, April 25th - School Improvement Day
Citizenship - For the next two weeks, we will continue to review our problem-solving model. Students are reminded to talk problems out and use I-messages.
Reading - The students will conclude their research the beginning of the week and begin creating their cereal box biography. The following week, students will give their biography presentations to the class.
Writing - The goal is to finish our expository 4-square writing this week and move on to "how-to" writing the final week of April.
Spelling - This week's pattern is -tion and -sion. The list #25 test THURSDAY, APRIL 21st. The spelling menu is due then as well.
Base List #25 - combination, action, vision, motion, section, nation, vision, confusion, question, attention, vacation, production, quotation, tension, sensation
Alternate List #25 - creation, abbreviation, emotionally, fictional, dictionary, addition, division, relationship, occasionally, decisions, television, conclusion, profession, motionless, questionable.
Bonus = detention
The following week I will be having the list #26 spelling test on THURSDAY, APRIL 28th because of our field trip.
The spelling menu is due that day as well.
The pattern for list 26 is -er, -ful, -ly, and able.
Base List #26 - farmer, useful, softly, suitable, lonely, quietly, teacher, thankful, exactly, readable, nicer, safer, harmful, playful, suddenly
Alternate List #26 - especially, comfortable, certainly, recognizable, believable, anxiously, cautiously, explorer, happier, stranger, lovable, graceful, colorful, complainer, silently
Math- The students have learned to multiply multi-digit numbers times a single number. This week, they will learn to multiply double digit numbers with double digit numbers. There are two methods we will focus on- the partial products algorithm and the lattice method. (I will teach them the traditional method as well, but they will not be expected to demonstrate this particular skill at the end of the unit.) It is great for kids to explore different ways to multiply so that they can find a strategy that works best for them. Please help your child with all of these methods. If you are not sure how to review these methods with your child, please ask your child to bring home his/her SRB for a reference. Student Reference Book pages 52-74 has many samples and practice problems.We will also work on division problems that include a remainder.The students will be ordering fractions and finding area and perimeter as well. There will no no math class on Wednesday and Thursday of this week because of Earth Day activities.
Science- A Moon Study guide was given out on 4/15 and is due on Wed., 4/20. The Moon Test will be on Thursday, 4/21. The students need to know the key words and ideas from the study guide. They will also need to be able to label the moon phases by looking at pictures of the moon. There are some great moon sites on the blog to help you study. Check them out!
Social Studies - The week of April 25th, we will stat our last Social Studies unit of the year. This unit is on Immigration and Migration. We will start with the early pioneers and the westward movement. The students just love learning about the Oregon Trail and playing the computer game which simulates actual difficulties the pioneers encountered on the trail.
Current Events- There will be no Current Events this week (no school Friday) or next week due to the Field Trip. We will resume our news casts on Friday, May 5th.
I hope everyone has a wonderful, long weekend spending time with family and friends.
"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new."
~Albert Einstein~
~Albert Einstein~
