WEEK OF NOVEMBER 9-13, 2009
Thanks for coming to Parent Conferences. I appreciated the feedback and the
chance to celebrate the successes of your children.
NEXT Book Project is posted on the link from my home page, due December 15, a
biography. Description was sent home Friday on lavender paper.
BALD EAGLE FESTIVAL is this week and we expect some live birds and their
handlers to teach us on Friday.
ARCHERY WILL CONTINUE THIS WEEK, TUESDAY AND FRIDAY for Fourth Graders.
I am adding one more weekly assignment to our homework regime. It is a review
of words which your child has learned and needs to practice so that searching
for the meaning does not slow him/her down on the assessment tests. It is
expected that this will take no more than ten minutes. It is due on Fridays.
This is the spot to look for the week's homework tasks. Check out the other
links for announcements important to our class as well as schedules and more.
Math homework is assigned daily, spelling sentences are assigned weekly, and
science and social studies tasks are assigned intermittently. Most writing is
done in class. Students should take about 20 minutes to read each night. Book
projects are assigned monthly, for a total of six projects. We read silently
every day for 15 minutes in class.
It is the goal that all work is turned in promptly. All work that is turned in
by Friday can be graded on the weekend and be posted and returned by Tuesday.
THE SECOND BOOK PROJECT WILL BE DUE NOVEMBER 3. We will have 5-6 assigned
this year.
MATH--due the following day.
Monday--
Tuesday--
Wednesday--
Thursday--
Lesson 12 This week
1. railroad
2. airport
3. seat belt
4. everywhere
5. homesick
6. understand
7. background
8. anything
9. ninety-nine
10. already
11. fireplace
12. ourselves
13. all right
14. forever
15. breakfast
16. whenever
17. everything
18. meanwhile
19. afternoon
20. make-believe
Lesson 11 (last week)
*shake
*desk
*block: the 3-D shape or to keep something from happening or...
*fright
neat
roast
prune: to cut off branches or the wrinkly plum
*spray
plant
bread
speed
drain
*fist
pride
*truck
*flock
*cone: the 3-D shape with only one face and it's a circle
*crew
*blade
*dead
Challenge: (if you want to be in the spelling bee, you should plan to step up
to the challenge list soon for practice.)
This are from the OFFICIAL SPELLING BEE STUDY LIST
denominator
crowded
patience
article
receive
treasure
dynamite
headache
fertilize
chemical
pigeon
punctuation
extinct
plural
barefoot
Some students will use the Challenge list as their week's spelling lesson with
the added benefit of expanding their vocabulary. Students and parents should
decide carefully if they would like to "raise the bar" for themselves.)
Usually we will be practicing basic spelling patterns and commonly used (high
frequency) words.
New list words are introduced on Monday and examined for phonetic
patterns. Some students will be using the grade level list and others have
elected to challenge with a list of less common vocabulary with more complex
spellings. ALL students are directed to write their words in their notebooks
and have this task signed off before moving onto the related exercises in
their workbooks.
Sentences are due on Thursday. Each student needs to write a sentence
containing ONE spelling word used correctly. Each sentence must be at least
six words long, be thoughtful, and make sense. If TWO words can fit in a
sentence easily, they can be used, however students must write at least 15
sentences altogether (9 altogether for short list spellers) as we want to
develop our writing skills. Some students like to make up stories that use all
the spelling words, but, however imaginative, the stories must make sense.
Spelling tests are given on Friday after lunch.
READING
This week we are reading two stories as part of a comprehension assessment.
One is about Amelia Earhart taking Eleanor Roosevelt, the First Lady, on a
night plane ride. The other is about how Duke Ellington got his start as a
jazz pianist and orchestra leader.
WRITING
We are continuing to practice standard handwriting (Zaner-Bloser style) We
will use our spelling words for practice and include that in weekly classwork.
Some may need to be finished at home.
We will be applying ourselves to the six traits of writing: ideas,
organization, word choice, voice, sentence fluency, and conventions. (See
Links section for an on-line reference.) By the end of the year, we will be
writing thoughtful, well-organized paragraphs. We will continue to practice
standard grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and apply ourselves to revising
and editing before publishing, as recommended in the writing process.
Current Composition:
We are writing letters to servicemen and servicewomen who are overseas to send
for the holidays. If you have any old Christmas cards we can cut up and turn
into our own cards, send them along.
SCIENCE--We have begun a study of Weather, with a focus on instruments and
application of the various physics principles involved.
We are also working on recognizing science vocabulary in print and practicing
techniques of measuring and applying the metric system units.
SOCIAL STUDIES
The focus in fourth grade is on Alaska's geography, history, and economics.
We have begun our study of Alaska geography. We will be learning new terms,
identifying and locating a few dozen cities and towns, land features, bodies
of water.
There will be various scored activities, two map tests (dates TBA), and one
final test on vocabulary and regional concepts the last week of the quarter.
We will be applying our understanding of economics as we explore the various
areas and communities of Alaska.
COMPUTERS
Our primary skill focus is to become highly competent at keyboarding using
home row. We will practice every week and take some timed tests. If students
can practice a little at home, they will increase their words-per-minute and
accuracy much faster.
Grades will be based on participation and individual progress as demonstrated
in accurate words per minute.
SPANISH
Conversation practice this week:
"Si vas a comer almuerzo de la escuela, leva su mano por favor." If you are
eating a school lunch, raise your hand, please.
NEWEST vocabulary:
We are learning how to greet each other with:
Hola
Buenos dias
Buenas tardes
Buenas noches
senor
senorita
senora
We have begun practicing dialogues that use greetings and friendly
conversation as well as what we want to do or what we like to eat.
HEALTH
Each week we will address a health topic. This week it is refusing to be
tempted by drugs and alcohol. We enjoyed a performance by a "Just Say No"
dance group from Juneau on Monday.
MUSIC
Students have two 40-minute sessions with Mrs. Land to learn the basics of
music and try out many styles of both music and movement. It is hoped that
students will be well-prepared to begin the band program as fifth graders.
ART
Students have one hour a week for instruction and workshop in various art
techniques taught by Ms. Danner. This week we will design our Christmas
plates. Yep, it's that time already--Halloween means Christmas plates!
