Thursday Scholastic Book Orders due tomorrow

We went to the Larsen-Sant library today. We were shown all through the library and learned a lot. The students were all given a free book. The good news is that if a parent takes the child back to the library and tells the librarian that the child came to the 4th grade library tour, the child will get another free book!

We worked on math today. Students were learning about less than and greater than. This new program has started with ordering four digit numbers, which for a few of the children is easy. But we will be advancing quickly to the million place. Also, I think I have figured out more about the math program we are using and should be able to give the advanced students more challenging work.

Although we missed language arts today, we still found some time to finish our vocabulary words. We will take our reading and vocabulary test tomorrow along with the spelling test.

Wednesday - Book orders by Friday

Tomorrow we will go to the Preston Library first thing in the morning. Students will learn how to use the library and all of its resources. Today students worked on their vocabulary words. We are practicing using a dictionary and a thesaurus. We also worked on our spelling words.

In math we continued reading and writing four digit numbers and the place value of each number. These activities should allow all students to catch up so we can move forward. Students went to music class today.

Make sure you get your book orders in this week. They need to go out on Friday morning. Reading to your child, at any age, helps them read better too. Even better, read together, both at the same time reading aloud. This helps children speed up to your level and to start recognizing words they already are familiar with, they just don't know how the words look.

Tuesday

This morning in our language arts block students learned how to fingerspell their spelling words. This will enable them to have a new way to practice their words. Then we read the excerpt from the story "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh." We read the story aloud, as a class. Each student is expected to read the story aloud with me. It is a little hard for the fast readers, but they also learn new words this way, instead of just rushing past them. After our reading was done we practiced writing a paragraph, as they are required to do in their homework, so they could practice how it is to be done. We will continue to do this so students will learn how to do their homework, and how to write a good summary paragraph.

In math we continued working on understanding larger numbers. Students used the blocks to make the number I wrote on the board. Then we did a worksheet together. The students should have taken it home. Please look at it and see if you can figure out the last problem. Our teams worked on it until finally they began to understand it. It was exciting to see how involved students became to get it right. In the afternoon students wrote a hypothesis as Mrs. Lindsey's class did a science experiment for us. Then we came back and wrote the conclusion. It should be interesting to check this.

Monday

Students took their Star tests this morning. They have set their AR goals. Parents, please talk with your student about this goal and help them attain it.

In math we finished our test and then moved on to place value. Students are learning place value and will be able to move up to the millions place. We used hundred, ten and ones blocks to actually see what each place value represents.

Students started learning the song, "Here We Have Idaho" in our Social Studies class. Finally the students were given their homework sheet. They are to read twenty minutes each day. Parents, you are asked to sign the reading. Then the student is to write a brief summary each day including setting, characters, plot, conflict and resolution. We are currently learning to understand first person and third person. They should understand this within the week.

Friday

Students took the first half of the math assessment test today. They will finish it on Monday. Then we learned how we will do our vocabulary words. It always takes longer the first few times. Children need to practice looking up words in the dictionary. We also study synonyms and antonyms while we do this assignment. We practiced doing our Daily Oral Language. The students had P.E. today. Please make sure all of the papers with signatures are returned by Monday.

Thursday

Welcome to 4th grade. Today in school we reviewed expectations in our class. Students learned why we say the Pledge of Allegiance and then we practiced saying it with allegiance. Next we talked about Patriotic Songs and we sang, "My Country Tis of Thee." We took an elementary assessment spelling test so that we can figure out where the children are and what they need in spelling.

I then told the students a little bit about me. They saw some pictures. Then they started writing a five paragraph essay about them. Each paragraph had to have a minimum of four sentences. By the end of this year we will be writing a good five paragraph essay. We then went out and learned the expectations for walking down the hall quietly and how to come in from recess acceptably.

After lunch students worked on their essays and made name tags for the outside wall. They went to the library and practiced, again, the correct way to go down the hall. At the end of the day we read from the book, "Poppy."

We have received most of the notes back. We still need a few more class room helpers and another room mother. Please contact me with that information. Thanks!