Hot and Not
What’s Happening in MAC2
November 30, 2009
Here it is the end of November already, and another issue of Hot and Not. Remember, if you would like this letter online next time, please go to our web site, (http://teacherweb.com/WI/Shorewood/MultiageMAC2) and head to the Hot and Not page. Scroll to the bottom and click the “subscribe to this page” button. Follow the directions and you’re all set! We’ll continue to print this for anyone not on the list, so don’t worry if you can’t sign up.
We hope you enjoyed the time to talk with us about your child's progress thus far. If you have a question that was not answered, please contact us. It often happens that you remember something that you wanted to talk about after the conference is over. We had 100% response to our conferences which is a first!
After the many interruptions to our daily schedule in November due to testing, half days and conferences, we look forward to a productive December. With many family events happening outside of school, we keep our schedule consistent and work to focus your child's attention until the winter recess. You can help by supporting your child in completing homework, reading and maintaining their focus on school first, vacation later.
Language Arts - Students have been working in guided reading groups reading novels with themes of immigration. Ask your child about the book he/she is reading at school. The students seem actively engaged and they can relate the concepts we are talking about in social studies to stories about fictional families experiencing a new land. Some students may have work to finish at home to complete their reading work.
Students continue to work on spelling units three times a week and have a spelling test approximately every two weeks or so. A new list was sent home before conferences. We post the testing date on our web site under the homework section. Again, our goal is improvement in spelling in their everyday writing, not just on final tests. We have added cursive writing practice to the spelling lessons. The expectation is that students will be able to write all cursive letters by the end of fourth grade.
Our writing will be the completion of a second personal narrative, this time with a focus of putting more feeling and power into the piece. We are also looking to see much more detail and description in the work. Ask your child what they are writing about and help them with ways to add those details.
Social Studies - We began our unit on immigration during the month of November. This is a great way for students to learn about their distant relatives and the countries their ancestors emigrated from long ago. They will be given an interview sheet to help them learn more specific information. Since the holidays are coming up and many families gather together, it is a good time for the students to do this research. Some may need to e-mail or perhaps telephone their grandparents to receive the information that they need.
Families will be asked to complete a family tree. Some may have more detail depending on their knowledge of their family history. This is not a test! In the past, the kids have been eager to share interesting family story and to find out where their family roots began.
We will also collect artifacts and have speakers come to our class to share their stories of coming to America. Let me know if you have a connection to someone who would be willing to be a guest speaker.
Math - Mr. Roberts’ group will complete Unit 4, the use of decimals, this week. Unit 5 returns to multiplication where the kids will begin multi-digit problems and extend their facts (i.e. if 4x3=12 then 40x30=1200) Keep up the study of basic facts, as they sure com in handy now that we're moving to harder problems.
Mrs. Moore’s math group is midway through Unit Four on Multiplication and Division facts.The expectation is that students master the basic multiplication facts for 1,2,5, and 10 by the end of the year. However, those students who are able will be expected to learn all of the facts. Students brought home the math triangles that help to practice the fact families for multiplication and division.
Again, we encourage your kids to use the SRB they brought home to help them study. Each Study Link references the corresponding pages to use. Additionally, a Family Letter goes home at the beginning of each unit with ideas you can do to help your student, including the answers to the homework! Finally, each student has a password for the online games and SRB you can use. If you need a new one, please let us know. We have been very pleased that almost 100% of the students do their homework every night. Great work habits!
Science - Rocks and Minerals is our new area of study. We'll begin with some basics about the three types of rocks and then get into performing the different tests geologists do to help determine which is which.
We notice our class taking the character education tenets to heart and practicing them in context throughout their day. The students make four main choices every day that only they can control or change. They choose:
1. their attitude
2. how hard they work
3. how they treat one another
4. how honest they are
Please reinforce these ideas at home. We feel it is making all of us a better, united class of learners.
We’d like to again remind you to mark your student’s clothes so they are easily identified. Do the same with lunch boxes, as many seem to get misplaced after lunch. If you don't believe us, take a look at the tables of lost and found items by the office!
We'll talk again right after winter break!
Sincerely,
Mike and Kitty