Week of 9/12/16 - 9/16/16

It was great to see so many of you at Curriculum Night this week!  A few reminders: 

• Conference sign up email http://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0d4ca4aa28a13-october
• If you are interested in receiving text messages from us to remind you about field trips etc. then  text 81010 and message @2016room3 to join our text messages

Reading:  We began our first class novel, Shiloh.  Already the students feel invested in this powerful story about a boy who discovers a dog that is mistreated by his owner.  Most of this will be read by me during class while the kids read along in their own copies of the book.  They'll be able to take their books home with them to respond to the chapters.  We'll use the book to further develop an understanding of setting, characters, and the way a plot is structured.  I'm really excited for it!  Ask your child about the main character, Marty, about where the story takes place, and about Shiloh.

Writing:  I introduced the concept of 'genres' this week by explaining narratives, informational, and opinion writing.  We brainstormed all sorts of genres, like historical fiction, commercials, fantasies, science fiction, articles, letters, etc, and talked about which category they fit into.  Truly an 'aha' moment for most of the class.  They did a lot of great free-writing, too!  Ask your kids about what they're writing.  What are their classmates writing?

4th Grade Math: This week we continued on in our place value unit and worked together using the place value chart.  We built on the ten times as much that we learned last week and continued adding on to numbers.  We can now add amounts to a number without adding two digits but by looking at the numbers and where they are in the place value chart.  We've also been working on our multiplication facts by doing a few sprints.  Ask your student if they can solve 10,000 + 405,697.

Social Studies:   This week we continued Social Studies with our growth mindset lessons. We watched two short videos about famous people using a growth mindset. Everyone took an individual growth mindset assessment to see if they have a growth or fixed mindset/  We talked about we can have a different mindset depending on the skill but need to try to have more of a growth mindset.  We also read the book, Thank you Mr. Falker . Ask your child how they scored on a growth mindset assessment.

Science: This week we continued our science experiment on building the tallest cup tower, our first STEM activity.  The students worked together and many students built a tall tower.  We discussed how positioning the cups made the tower taller and how important working together is necessary.  The groups that assigned roles and worked together had an easier time building their towers.  Hopefully this will help as we begin our Soils, Rocks, and Landforms unit.  We also took a pre-assessment and are ready to begin our unit next week.  Ask your child what their team plan is for their tower.

Miscellaneous: 

• Whittier School will offer the “Early PE” program for 4th and 5th grade students. Times are from 7:00 to 7:30am for 5th grade and 7:30 to 8:00am for 4th grade. Early PE is everyday and runs Monday through Friday. This program will begin Monday September 26, 2016.  Current research shows that engaging in physical activity stimulates brain functioning, which results in improving reading and comprehension levels.  The plan is to provide an opportunity for students to increase physical activity every day.  All activities will be planned with cardiovascular fitness as a priority along with using good sportsmanship, and having fun. The students will use the gym space and possibly outdoor space during this time.  If you wish for your child to participate in the Early PE program, please complete the lower portion of this letter. Although not mandatory, please have your child try their best to participate every day Monday through Friday.  7:00 to 7:30am for 5th grade and 7:30 to 8:00am for 4th grade.   Morning drop off area will be in front of the school on Harvey.