Fall is here! We are loving the crisp air at recess these days...
This week we discussed the responsibilities of staying organized in 4th and 5th grade. Many students say "well my mom didn't put the _____ back in my backpack!" We discussed the fact that if mom or dad checks homework it means they are helping to stay organized and successful, but ultimately the kids are responsible for making sure they bring their supplies to school. Some fifth graders shared strategies that they use to keep themselves organized: packing their backpack before bed, checking for their materials after breakfast, etc. Now that we've had this class discussion, hopefully we can team up to make the kids more independent, without causing you to drop off supplies and homework at school every seven minutes!
Reading: We will finish reading the novel Chicken Boy this week! It's been a great adventure for our class and though we're near the end, the surprises keep on coming. Ask your child about what happened in today's chapters! Typically we'll do an end-of-book wrap up project, but in this case, we'll move right into the Treasures curriculum. My means of assessment was through the reading responses assigned in their notebooks each chapter.
4th Grade Math: Thanks for signing the Unit 1 tests. I'll file them in the students' portfolios for conferences or future reference. Unit 2 is called "Using Numbers and Organizing Data." It's main focus is on number sense. We began by understanding various uses for numbers: counting, measuring, reference, comparing and codes. We also discussed what it means to have a strong number sense: noticing patterns, knowing multiplication, division, addition and subtraction facts, and using math knowledge to figure out problems. Building math fluency is like building reading fluency: the more you do it, the stronger you get! Here are a few ways you can help your child practice:
- play "Top It" with a deck of cards
- skip-count (3,6,9.... 4,8,12...)
- quiz each other on the multiplication tables (you can choose one or two numbers to work with at a time: quiz your child on their "7's: 7x2, 7x3, 7x4....)
- have your child make flash cards
5th Grade Math: Check out Ms. Wennerberg's website and newsletter for updates: http://www.op97.org/swennerberg/
Science: We've completed our research and our rough drafts, too. Our scientists had the choice of presenting their research as a "Short Report" for science magazine, an email requesting money for research, or a feature article. Today I checked most of the rough drafts for layout, conventions and content. The kids have Thursday and Friday in science to complete their final drafts. They will be due on Monday, October 3rd for class 303, and Wednesday October 5th for Class 302.
Writing: We've begun the revision process. I'm beginning to see the kids taking ownership of their work and space: they're feeling confident in offering feedback, they come to their writing conferences with a purpose, and they take the advice they've been given and actually use it to better their writing. Because we use the workshop model, each child is working on goals that are tailored to their skills. For example, some of my fifth grade writers have strong voice, word choice and organization; I might be working with them on sentence structure/ fluency and more sophisticated plot structures. On the other hand, some of my fourth graders have very creative ideas, but need support sticking to one idea and keeping their stories organized. Ask your child about some of the other ideas they've heard floating around our room. (Note: once an idea becomes popular, it spreads like wildfire. That's great because it means ideas are inspiring other ideas, but we have a lot of 'criminals gone awry' plots right now!)
Social Studies: Check out Ms. Wennerberg's website and newsletter for updates: http://www.op97.org/swennerberg/
Miscellaneous:
- Email me to sign up for an October conference if you haven't done so already!
- Our picture day timeslot isn't until after lunch. Please keep in mind that your child will have lunch recess before pictures, so I'll give them a few minutes to 'spruce up' before pictures. Feel free to send them with a comb, or even a shirt change if you'
- GOLDEN LUNCHBOX CONTEST: Wednesday, September 28th is our first school-wide waste free lunch competition of the year. The classroom that brings the most waste free lunches will win the honor of displaying the Golden Lunchbox in their classroom for a month, as well as a PAW for every student. So if your child brings a lunch from home next Wednesday, make sure that it is waste free! (Note: Our class one multiple times last year! The kids are hoping to continue the tradition this year.)
