Math – We will be wrapping up our unit on Multiplication early next week, and testing by the end of that week.  Please remember, the more students practice their multiplication facts at home, the easier this test will be for them.

Writing – We are working on writing realistic fiction stories in class.  We will begin this week by using a story mountain to plan out our story.  The more work students do up front, during the planning stage, the easier the actual writing will be for them.

Reading – We are beginning our third unit of study this week as we shift gears and begin reading informational texts.  Students will be focusing on text features in order to better understand what they are reading.

Social Studies – We are wrapping up our unit on government this week.  Students will be looking at how a bill becomes a law, before reviewing and taking our test by the end of the week.  Students should be bringing home their orange social studies folders and notebooks in order to study for their test.

 

Important Dates:

• Tomorrow is our classroom Halloween party.  The parade will be tomorrow around 2pm, with our party immediately following.  Thank you to the parents who have volunteered to organize this event for the kids.  The students are very excited.  Students may come to school in their costumes, or change into them once they arrive.  Masks will not be allowed to be worn, except during the actual parade and party.  We still have learning to do.  Please also remember that no weapons, or look-alike weapons are allowed, even if they are a part of the costume.  Student safety is always our number one concern.
• All change for our Change War is due by Wednesday, November 1st.  Thank you so everyone who has already sent in change.  Our jar is getting quite full! 🙂
• Friday, November 3rd is a half day for students, as teachers will be spending the afternoon finalizing grades before conferences next week.  Thank you to all parents for being so flexible with your conference times.  I cannot wait to sit down with each of you to discuss your child’s progress.

In Math we are moving from 2-digit by 1-digit multiplication to 3-digit by 1-digit multiplication.  Students have been taught the Place Value Sections Model, the Expanded Notation Method, the Algebraic Notation Method, as well as the Shortcut Method in order to multiply.  It is up to them which method to use at this point.  I suggest that they choose the method they are most comfortable using, even if that isn’t the shortest or fastest method.  The focus should be on accuracy, not speed.

***I cannot express enough how important it is for students to commit their multiplication facts to memory.  It doesn’t matter how good they are at the various multiplication methods we are learning in class if they are getting the basic facts wrong.  Using flashcards at home, or technology such as Moby Max Fact Fluency, at home will help your child be more successful in the classroom.  If you need a set of multiplication flash cards for home, please let me know and I will get you a set.

In Writing we are starting our unit on realistic fiction.  Students will still be able to apply everything they learned during their unit on Personal Narratives, such as paragraphing, writing introductions and conclusions, and including the internal thoughts and feelings of their characters.  The only difference is that now students can make up the characters and the problems that they face.  Once way to help your child be more successful during this unit, is to have them write at home as well.  They should practice writing stories in paragraphs, which continues to be a large struggle for many students.

In Reading we are still focused on analyzing characters and developing our own theories about who they are deep down.  As students are reading at home, discuss why characters might be behaving in specific ways.  Have them make predictions about what that character might do later in the book, based on what they’ve already done.  We should be wrapping up our read aloud of The Tiger Rising by the end of the week, or early next week.

In Social Studies we are reviewing the 3 branches of government, and focusing on the checks and balances that the framers put in place to ensure no branch gains too much power.

In Math, students are exploring multiplication strategies.  We are using traditional methods, as well as some newer, more visual methods.  This unit often leads to a lot of frustration at home, and I apologize for that now.  When students come home asking for help, and parents don’t understand how it is being taught in class, there ends up being frustration on both sides.  I will do my best to answer any and all questions during class, but if your child comes home with a question you don’t know how to answer, please feel free to email me, and I will do my best to show you the strategy we are working on in class.  Although these new methods may look strange, they actually help students build a deeper understanding of the concepts.

In Writing, students are finishing up their unit on writing personal narratives.  Students will write their final personal narrative this week, which will be graded by me, and used to determine their marks for their report card.

In Reading, students are continuing to explore characters more in depth as we read The Tiger Rising aloud and practice comprehension skills together, before students are released to read in small groups and practice the same skill with their groups.  Students have been doing a great job discussing books in class and I hope that continues at home.  Remember, whether your child is reading aloud to you, or you’re reading to them, the most important thing is to discuss the book together to ensure students are understanding what is being read.

For Social Studies, students are continuing to explore our government.  This week, we will be taking a close look at the three branches of government: legislative, executive, and judicial.  We will explore their individual responsibilities and how those branches interact with one another.

This week…

In Math we will begin our 2nd unit of study.  The focus will be on multiplication.  Students will learn what multiplication means, how to multiply two and three digit numbers, and will explore multiple strategies to do so.  Students will also be encouraged to continue practicing their multiplication facts.  The faster they are with their facts, the easier this unit will be for them.  Moby Max is a great site to utilize at home for additional fact practice.

For Grammar we have finished introducing the different grammar skills required for 4th graders to master, so we will spend the remainder of the school year working through a spiral review of those skills, allowing students to briefly practice each skill, each week.

Spelling will continue to be introduced on Mondays, with quizzes on Fridays.  Students are split into 3 different spelling groups, based on their current skills.  Please encourage your child to study their words throughout the week so that they are prepared by Friday.

In Writing, we will be working through a final personal narrative before assessing students’ writing skills in a final writing piece sometime next week.

For Social Studies, we have finished our Economics unit and have begun government.  We has looked at the Preamble to the Constitution as well as the Bill of Rights.  This week, we will be looking at the three levels of government in our country: local, state, and national.  Students will learn the leaders of each of those levels of government, along with their specific duties and responsibilities.

This week…

Math  – We are finishing up our first Unit this week.  We will be taking our unit test tomorrow, then reviewing skills that students struggle with, and then will re-take the questions they missed by Friday.

Writing – We are working through our second personal narrative this week.  Students have already completed a story mountain for this story, so their ideas are already mapped out.  Something that will help their writing is discussing their story with them at home.  The more they’re prepared to write, the better their writing will become.

Reading – We are starting a new unit this week.  We will be focusing on analyzing characters in our realistic fiction novels.  We will be reading Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo as our class read aloud.  At home, you can discuss the characters in their books as they read.  Remember…reading aloud to your child at home, and modeling your thinking as you read, will also help improve their reading skills.

Social Studies – We are going to begin a unit on government this week.  We will start by analyzing the preamble to the constitution as we discuss what the framers of our constitution laid out to do.

 

Important Dates for This Week:

• Tuesday, October 3 – Fire Safety presentation from the fire department
• Friday, October 6 – Plaiderday – Wear plaid