Thursday - report cards tomorrow - finish essay

Students will be taking home a regular report card and a new type of math report card. These reports are based on individual areas that the students are required to learn. We think we have figured out how to best do this and hopefully we will see improvement in all of the areas. Today we reviewed our stories and vocabulary words. We also worked on doubles in multiplication. Did you know that if you take 2 x 6 = 12 and 4 (double of 2) x 6 = 24 (the double of 12) You can also double the 4 to eight and the answer doubles again! This also works with 3 and 6. It makes it a fast way for students to be able to figure out multiplication answers. We are learning two songs for the Christmas program. We are singing with the other 4th grade, "I'm gettin' nothin' for Christmas," and then signing, "Away in a Manger." Students need to finish their essay tonight.

Tuesday - spelling test tomorrow

Students had time to re-read our story this morning. If they brought the book home we are reading pg 208-221. Then they worked on their spelling and learned how to figure out what words meant using context clues. Some students got started on their essay about thankfulness. In math students reviewed division. More are getting it everyday. We just keep doing problems until the light goes on. The hard part is that the students are still struggling with their multiplication facts. Once they get those down, division is much easier. Remember, tomorrow is the spelling test.

Monday

We were back to work today. We read an interesting story about how medicine has changed over the past. We started reviewing our spelling words. In math we began working on division again. I have sent home problems for all four operations. The children are struggling with all of these. Please help them, there are just four per night. If you watch what they are doing, perhaps that one-on-one will get them through this struggle. All is going well. We will start grading the homework pages this week. Please encourage the students to write on their reading, it is required. Thanks!

Tuesday Happy Thanksgiving

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Remember to be grateful and to read, read, read.

Monday

We got a lot of reading done today. Students also got to go to the gold card store. We reviewed five great rules in math that help in dividing by 2, 3, 5, 9, and 10. Then the students practiced doing this. We also wrote our spelling words in cursive. Students will take a test tomorrow which reviews past spelling words. Tomorrow afternoon we will have a little Thanksgiving Party. I hope to encourage them to pay attention, more to their blessings, and not so much on getting out of school.

Thursday

We had our Direct Writing Assessment today. The students worked very hard. We reviewed for our math test tomorrow and will also take the spelling and reading test. Then we will discuss Thanksgiving, figure our AR points for next trimester, and set goals. Discuss these with your child and see what they need to do to set a goal that will stretch them, but not be too difficult.

Wednesday - Direct Writing Assessment tomorrow

Thursday all 4th and 5th grade students will be doing the Direct Writing Assessment. We have been diligently practicing, and hopefully, all will go well. If you want to practice with them, use the paper I sent home last week and have the student talk through an idea for an essay. Today we took our spelling test, practiced vocabulary words and worked on how to brain-storm for a five paragraph essay. In math we are starting division. We separated students out into groups of two, three, four etc. to see if we would have a remainder. Next we did the same thing with blocks. Tomorrow we will start the dividing on paper.

Tuesday - spelling test tomorrow

Students are working hard to prepare for the Direct Writing Assessment on Thursday. I sent home a paper last week, if you want to help your child with this, go through the paper with them, and ask them to "talk out" a five paragraph essay. You can choose any subject and then see if they can talk through it with you. We are beginning to work on division. Monday we divided tens, hundreds, and thousands. That was pretty easy. Today we estimated division. Tomorrow we will start dividing and finding remainders.

Monday - Picture retakes are tomorrow!

Just a reminder that picture retakes will happen tomorrow. Today we read a folktale called, "Salt." Then students wrote paragraph one and two about Gratitude and Thanksgiving. Their Direct Writing Assessment will be this Thursday. We have had quite a few children ill. We are starting to insist that students wear their coats outside. In math we are learning how to divide multiples of tens, hundreds and thousands. It is pretty easy, but it is starting their section on division. It is absolutely imperative that children know their multiplication families so division is easier.

Friday

The children did a wonderful job singing at the Veteran's Day assembly today. They were very enthusiastic. After the assembly was over we went back to class and read the stories about Veterans that the children brought to class. It led to a good discussion. We had reading, spelling and math tests today. Grades come out just before Thanksgiving so these last two tests are really important. I sent home a practice test and will again this next week. Hopefully that will help you, as parents, assist the children at home to comprehend the concepts.

Thursday Veteran's assembly tomorrow

We had our AR walk yesterday. Some of our students are doing extremely well. We prepared for our math and spelling tests for tomorrow. We also did our 4th paragraph in our five paragraph essay. Tomorrow is our Veteran's Day program. We are asking students to wear red white and/or blue tomorrow. The children have been practicing our songs and are ready to go. The assembly will be at 1:30 at the Dahle Fine Arts Center.

Wednesday

Our school is preparing for our Veteran's Day program. We are singing all of the songs from the Air Force, Navy, Army, Coast Guard and Marines. It is wonderful to hear them sing with such heart. I have sent home two papers today. One is to practice for the math test on Friday. This is last week's test, but the problems will be very similar. Also, I sent home an outline for how to write the five paragraph essays. I am not asking you to have your child write one at home, but you could help your child talk through an essay. When they learn to start thinking that way, the test will be easier for them.

Tuesday - Election Day

We are diligently working to prepare for our direct writing assessments. The children are writing everyday. We are also still working on double digit multiplication. Thanks to all the children that wrote the paper about veterans. That took a lot of work.

Monday

The tests students took on Friday will go home tomorrow. Please go over them with your student. I am reviewing any math problem they got incorrect, I hope to have that done tomorrow. Some of them are reading errors, when a student just didn't pay attention to the instructions. We are continuing to work on double digit multiplication. If you could help your student practice these at home, that would help too. Students do have one each day on their homework. We are practicing for our Veteran's Day program on Friday. Students are supposed to find a veteran and interview them. It is good to know what was suffered for our freedoms. Oh, I nearly forgot, we celebrated Guy Fawkes Day today. I told the students that we would celebrate holidays from different country. In 1605 Guy Fawkes was part of a group who tried to blow up the Parliament. He was caught and punished and the people still celebrate the preservation of the Parliament and King James. We watched a few little videos and ate sausages to celebrate the day. Remember, remember the 5th of November, gunpowder, treason and plot. I see no reason why gunpowder and treason should ever be forgot.

Friday

We took all three tests today. Students were grateful for the afternoon when we made art creations depicting the Lewis and Clark expedition. Remember, Sunday is the end of daylight savings time. Enjoy the extra hour in the morning.

Thursday

We had an exciting assembly today. Three young people danced, acted and sang and taught the children about eating right and exercising. It was good. In math we worked more on multiplying by double digit numbers. Students are still struggling. In their homework next week they will have a problem every night. Hopefully this will help them understand. We just learned that our direct writing assessment will be in 15 days! That is not happy news. We will continue to work on perfecting their writing skills until then, and then we will not stop so that next year, they will feel more confident. In Idaho history we learned more about the Lewis and Clark expedition and Sackagawea.