Friday - Happy Spring Break

We took our spelling test this morning and the reading test too. In math we reviewed the different areas we have been studying, fractions, shapes, triangles, angles, area, perimeter, addition and subtraction.

In the afternoon we studied another cultural holiday, Passover. The children had never heard of it before. We ate matzohs and learned about the 10 plagues of Egypt. Then we had Easter cookies. Hope you all have a great Spring Break.

Here are some pages to check out during spring break Math book: Changing and comparing measures U.S. pg 596 Mass and Metric Units 565 Chapter 9 page 500 Fractions Chapter 10 page 562 More fractions Geometry chapter 8 pg 434 Perimeter area and volume chapter 8 464 also, you can go to www.prepdog.org Go to 4th grade and practice some of the available tests to see how you do.

Thursday - reading test tomorrow

Today was fun. For social studies/science, the students displayed the solar systems that they had made. Most of the students in the school came to see the wonderful creations. It was good.

In reading, we reviewed our vocabulary words, Mrs. Fuller helped with the fluency testing we do each month, and then the students went to prepdog.org and practiced the tests to help prepare them for the ISATs. We will review some of these things in class to make sure the students feel comfortable taking the tests. In math we learned the difference between liters and milliliters.

Wednesday

Students took their spelling test this morning. Those who missed words had to write them five times. Students should have the spelling test to take home with them so they can practice spelling missed words correctly. Then we worked to learn what similes mean. In math we compared capacities of teaspoons, tablespoons, cups, pints, quarts, and gallons. Students measured and recorded their measurements. Then we began to fill out the worksheets so they could see how to make equivalents between teaspoons, cups etc. At the end of the day we reviewed information to help the children prepare for their ISAT tests.

Tuesday - spelling test tomorrow, some math tonight

We studied our spelling words this morning and began the review for our vocabulary words. Then each student wrote about how the story, "Louis Braille," had a an affect on them and their lives. In math we learned how to convert inches to feet to yards and back again. We went around the room measuring and converting. Afterwards they all had a worksheet to practice the conversions using math. Those students who did not finish were to take this home as homework. It is due at the start of class tomorrow.

In science the students need to get their solar systems in. We are having a tour of all of them at 12:40 - 1:25 on Thursday if you would like to see all of the work these students did on their solar systems.

Monday - correct Math test for 1/2 points of all missed problems

We read a story about Louis Braille today. It took him three years, as a young boy, to create the system of reading for blind people. It is a good story and encourages the children to keep working at the things that are important. In the afternoon we watched a video about Louis Braille's life. We also reviewed the spelling and vocabulary words.

In math we reviewed the test we took last week. Any student who fixes any problems they missed will receive half credit for each lost point. We learned about metric measurements and will continue on this subject tomorrow. Then we will measure and weigh in both metrics and and U.S. measurements.

Students are in Science this week. Please make sure they all get their planet projects in on time.

Friday - it is cold

We took our reading and spelling tests this morning then the students read the next story about Louis Braille. Many students who finished early got their laptops and went into mathplayground.com On this site students can practice many fun math problems. In math we learned more about U.S. measurement and how it developed.

Please remind your children that it is early spring and likely to be very cold. Some children came to school without coats and then they are cold and miserable. I know we are hoping for warmer days, but the weather can change from rather pleasant in the morning to miserably cold and snowy by the afternoon. I have spoken to the students about this. Please remind them to dress appropriately.

Here is a good link for preparing for the ISAT tests. She has games and practice tests. http://ssoger.weebly.com/isat-practice.html

Thursday - Reading - spelling tests tomorrow

Today was very different, but quite enjoyable. We started class as usual with our morning Daily Oral Language and math review. Then students presented the vocabulary words they had prepared yesterday. We then went over to the auditorium to watch the play, "Hot Rod." The high school students did very well and the children quite enjoyed the play. I would suggest, if you need a night out to enjoy yourselves, that you make an effort to attend the play. After the play we had time to get ready for lunch.

After lunch we put on our coats and hats and went to the Dayton Cemetery. The students researched a list of different questions and wrote the answers. Thankfully Bill Salerno was able to go over with us. Then the students went to music. After music we did a quick lesson on converting inches to feet and feet to yards and yards to miles. We will be dealing with measurements for the next few weeks, although we will continue to review both fractions and geometry.

Wednesday and farewell to a friend

We took a spelling test this morning and then practiced identifying what a direct object was. In math students took their math test. Grades will be done in a few days.

In Social Studies students made posters about Idaho agriculture. They should finish those posters tomorrow. At afternoon recess a group of the girls put on a play as a last hurrah for one of their classmates who is moving. After recess we had a treat and just had time to visit before she left.

Tuesday - Geometry and Spelling test tomorrow

This morning we finished the story about Koko and his kitten All Ball. Then one of the students brought a link to a video about Koko so we watched that too. Next we moved on to our spelling words so the students will be ready for the test tomorrow. Finally, the students worked on an assignment about homographs, words that are spelled the same but have different meanings. We discussed that the "graph" part means "written" so they can distinguish between homographs and homophones, which are words that are sound the same but are spelled differently.

In math we prepared for the test. If you have any questions as to what will be on the test, please refer to yesterday's blog. Students are struggling as they confuse area (multiply lxw) and perimeter (add the length of all four sides) with each other. There will be a fraction problem, adding two fractions with different denominators. I will keep reviewing those so the problems become second nature to all of the students.

In Social Studies we finished the video about Idaho agriculture. Then, since the Russet Burbank potato was created by Luther Burbank, we watched a short video about him.

Monday - P.S. Report card information

Our new report cards are causing some concerns with grading. I thought I would take a minute out to explain. I will also send this letter home with the students. Your child's "Real" math grade is the number grades on the extra sheet of paper. The letter grade is simply the grade on the last two tests. I could have included all of the tests, but the idea is the child was to improve as the trimester went on.

Suppose your child had to do the problem 2/3 + 4/6. We all know that you can't add problems with different denominators, that you must get the denominator the same. This is one of the requirements for the students to learn and is listed on the grade sheet. Suppose your child showed in their work that they got the denominators the same, but then they reduced before they added. (This is an actual circumstance.) When I check the math paper, the answer is wrong. But when I look at how the child did the problem, I realize they almost have the concept, just not 100%. This child would not get a one. The child knows most of the steps, so I would give that child a 2. A 3 means they know and get the problem correct every time.

We are so used to grades, but this grading plan helps parents and teachers see exactly what it is that the child is not understanding. I am asking different children to stay in for a few minutes at different recesses to help those who did not understand fractions clearly. I am working with the first group right now and then will move onto the second group after spring break.

Monday Math test Wednesday

This morning students watched a youtube movie about Koko, the gorilla who knows sign language. Then we went over the fluency list and discussed words that the students didn't understand. Finally, we read the first half of the story about Koko. Students then wrote a short paragraph about the first half of the story.

In math we practiced finding area. The students did fine with rectangles, but they are still struggling with irregular figures. I will not be including irregular figures on this test. We need more work on those. However, the test will cover lines, line segments, points, rays, recognizing obtuse, acute and right angles and triangles, knowing a square, circle, rectangle, pentagon, hexagon, parallelogram and trapezoid. They will need to be able to determine the approximate angles of a triangle and know that all three angles add up to 180 degrees. They will also need to figure perimeter and area.

In Social Studies we learned a bit about agriculture in Idaho. We watched a movie that explained railroads, irrigation and better tools were the three things that improved Idaho's agriculture. We also learned that the two best known products of Idaho are sheep (we didn't know that one) and potatoes.

Friday

Students took their reading test this morning. Those who did not get 100% on their Wednesday spelling test had the opportunity to take it again. Your child should have brought home their hot pink homework paper, their reading test from last week, and their perimeter worksheet from yesterday. Please look at these things to make sure your child is performing up to his/her ability.

In math we learned how to find area by multiplying length x height. Then we did a week review where students were allowed to go to different stations around the room to review a math concept we learned this week.

Mrs. Wilde came in and gave the students a lesson on handling test stress. Then we went to a 4 -H meeting. Students should have brought a 4-H leaflet home to tell you about the meeting.

Thursday - Reading test on Friday

We reviewed for our reading test today and then discussed the difference between fact and opinion. It was interesting to see how often students thought something was a fact when it was an opinion. We corrected the work for the rest of the week. Then we started writing a story. The plot was to be that there were no more things to read. Students needed to include the characters, setting, plot, conflict and resolution in the pre-write.

In math students learned to measure perimeter. They started with four shapes they were to make and then moved on to items around the classroom. Tomorrow we will review the different areas of math we have learned this week while adding figuring out area to the mix.

Wednesday

We started the morning with a spelling test. Any student who missed more than 3 was required to stay in first recess and write their words five times. Hopefully this will help with them being more aware of the words. We also re-read our story and then watched a short film about the invention of the printing press and Johannes Gutenberg.

In math the students learned about symmetry. We had figures for the students to fold and find the lines of symmetry. Then they were given different shapes and made posters that show if a shape is symmetrical or not. Tomorrow we will be working with perimeter.

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At the end of the day we had a discussion about bullying. The problem is, no one realizes they are bullying, they just think they are being bullied. We talked about what to do if someone is picking on you. We also discussed what not to do.

Tuesday

We read an interesting piece today on how important the printing press is. Students couldn't imagine there being no books at all. We also reviewed spelling words so students can be ready for their spelling test tomorrow. In math we measured the angles of triangles. We also measured the sizes so the students could identify the angle and type of triangle.

Monday

We read a short article today about commercials. We will be reading another article for our test, but this one was interesting. It talked about the different ways that commercials try and get a child's attention. We learned about the Federal Communications Commission. Then we reviewed our spelling and vocabulary words.

Students learned about the different types of triangles and quadrilaterals today. Then we worked a little on measuring angles with a protractor. Tomorrow we will do a little bit more with that. There is a great site to practice the vocabulary of geometry at aplusmath.com There are flashcards and a few games that help with geometry. They also have other flash cards and games that will help with other areas of math.

In Social Studies we learned about some cemeteries in Idaho. We will be making headstones tomorrow. The students are going to decide what information they would want to have on their headstone 65 years from now.

Friday

Report cards are going home today. AR points were supposed to go inside, I didn't notice that till the last one, so I put them on the outside. We had four students in the AR Walk of Fame today, one with over 400 points. Keep reading!

Thursday

Students re-read the article about whales and elephants. We discussed the different ideas in the text. We also read a poem that went with the story. We are taking the second spelling test tomorrow, so students were reminded to study for that. Also, it is Spirit Day so students may want to wear maroon and white. It is also the Walk of Fame tomorrow at the end of the day. Ask your student if they are walking. Students are working hard on reading every Dr. Seuss book that they can find. The PTO is preparing them for the reading night on April 10th. In math we are starting to work on geometry.

Wednesday

We took our math test first thing this morning instead of doing English. We had the ballroom dance team come to do an assembly during math time. It was very well done and the students really enjoyed watching it. We also took our spelling test today. Report cards will be sent home on Friday.

Tuesday - Math test tomorrow

Today two of our students brought us information and links to watch and learn about the Mariana Trench. It was very interesting. Then we went over spelling and vocabulary. Finally students did their spelling pages in preparation for the spelling test tomorrow.

We will also take the math test tomorrow. Students were given a worksheet today that had them write the rule and then work a few problems. Hopefully this will remind them of the rules they forgot during the last test. Students were given their previous math test to take home, correct, and bring back tomorrow.

Monday

We started our new story today. It concerns how whales communicate with other whales many miles away. There is also some research on elephants. It was quite interesting. Then we did our frequency words. Please practice those with your children to help them be fluent with these words. We reviewed our vocabulary meanings today.

We took our math test. There are some areas we need work on so we will study tomorrow, and re-take a different test on Wednesday. Many students seemed to forget things that they know. This way we can make sure the grading in math is accurate.

Students will have a science paper coming home tomorrow. They are to use their ingenuity to come up with a way to represent the solar system. It should be fun for them to get done.

Thursday - no school tomorrow

We took our reading test this morning. In math the students reviewed for the test. I believe we will do the test on Monday after we review. I just felt that the first test wore some of the students out enough that they wouldn't be successful on a math test.

We had the gold card store today. Students earn gold cards based on behavior. On March 6th we will be at a ballroom dance assembly from 10:30-11:30. On Friday is the Walk of Fame for Accelerated Reader points. Students are also being encouraged to read Dr. Seuss books for our Literacy night on April 10th. Classes who read the most Dr. Seuss books will earn a doughnut party.

Wednesday - Math test tomorrow???

We re-read our story today and talked about what the different meanings and feelings in the story. We reviewed our vocabulary words by having each person present the word they prepared yesterday. We had our review spelling test and then went to a pep assembly for the basketball team.

Students went to science and learned about planets and space. Then Mrs. Smith came in and gave each student a pledge to help our school stamp out all bullying. She read them a very good story about not giving into the temptation of bullying, even when there is a cause for it. After recess we practiced writing cursive R and B.

Tuesday - No math test tomorrow

Today we practiced finding the main idea and details in a paragraph. Students went into teams and practiced the skill. Then we got out our definition cards and worked on the definitions of our vocabulary words. In math we had a big review for our math test tomorrow. Most of the students finished their work. Those who did not stayed in until they were done. Anyone not finished was to take it home for homework.

Just to let you know, we had an assembly yesterday and will have another one tomorrow. Our class was absolutely wonderful during the assembly. They used good manners and were very respectful to the speakers. They deserve a pat on the back for their excellent behavior.

I just re-read the schedule for tomorrow. It appears that our pep rally will take place right in the middle of math. So the test will be postponed until Thursday. I know some families will be out of town for that. I will try and make arrangements so those students can take the test early.

Monday

We read a story about music and slavery today. We will be singing some of the songs and I will teach the students what the words hid from the slave owners. Students reviewed spelling and vocabulary words today. They took home their homework sheet. In math we reviewed how to compare fractions. We are preparing for a fraction test on Wednesday.

Today we had an excellent assembly to encourage the children to stop the bullying. Afterwards some of us began talking about some unruly behavior during the assemblies. We are going to get a practice sheet so students can learn the difference between behavior in a nice auditorium, a basketball game inside, a football game outside and a rodeo. We hope to improve the behavior so when people come to our auditorium they will be impressed with the good behavior of our students.

Friday

Today students took their reading tests. We discussed the test before to make sure that those who have been gone would understand the information. In math, after a quick multiplication test, we practiced turning decimals into fractions. We will finish that page on Monday. Then we worked on making geometric shapes. Following directions seemed to be the most difficult part of that assignment. Some students stayed in at recess to see if they could get it done.

Don't forget the Hoedown tonight. It starts at 6:30 and lasts until 8:30. It has a $1 entrance fee and it is $3.00 for dinner. Come and watch your children do their line dances. They have been practicing for weeks.

Thursday - Spirit Day tomorrow - Wear your colors

This morning students took their spelling test. Then we re-read the Anne Frank excerpt. Students worked on homophones. In math they were given a worksheet, with information they knew but presented in a different way. I told them to read the instructions and do the work. Later, I told them that often we will be given tests and we need to learn how to read the directions and look at the paper and figure out how to get it done. We started learning about how decimals and fractions are related as we move forward adding decimals.

In social studies, each team was given a section to read and then report about it to the class. Students reported on agriculture, ranching, sheep vs cattle, and how Idaho became a territory. At the end of the day we looked at some pictures from the 1940s, we talked about how grateful we should be for the things we have.

Tomorrow evening is the Hoe Down. Please come and help support the school.

Wednesday

We will have our spelling test tomorrow. The words are fairly simple this time. Today we learned about homophones. We listed as many as we could on the board. Then we read through and discussed our fluency words. We talked about what it must have been like for people living during the days of the Gestapo. Some of the children had interesting ideas about what it would be like to live then. Students finished their workbooks for their spelling words.

In math class we finished our estimation papers and then played multiplication bingo. That was fun for students. In Social Studies we studied about games that the homesteaders children would play. In our story last week, Mr McBroom and the Big Wind we learned that the children jumped rope and played marbles. Other games the homesteader children played were jacks and dominoes. Then we got out these games and the students took turns playing.

Please remember to attend the Hoe-Down on Friday from 6:30 to 8:30. Entrance cost is $1.00 for anyone not a student at HBL. Dinner is $3.00 per person. There will be line dancing and a silent auction for items brought by parents. Please help out if you can.

Tuesday - Spelling test on Thursday

We learned a little about Anne Frank today. We read a short excerpt from her diary. Then we talked about how racism can hurt many people. We reviewed our spelling and vocabulary words, but we will not have the pre-test until Thursday. Those who don't get 100% will take it again on Friday.

In math we were evaluating how to recognize if the sum of two fractions would be greater than one, equal to one, or less than one. Students who did not finish today's assignment are required to do it for homework. It is due at the start of class tomorrow.

In Social Studies we learned about the problems Native Americans had when the settlers came in. We talked about how ideas and values have changed, but that we shouldn't judge people long ago by our ideas of right and wrong.

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The school's Hoedown is coming on Friday. Please find the orange paper that your child brought home today to understand what is happening that evening. All the money earned is to be used for the field trips this year. Other funding just isn't there. It should be a lot of fun. If you have something for the auction, you can bring it into Amy or bring it that night. If you would rather just give some money, I am sure that would happily accepted too.

Wednesday

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. Students are very excited. Many have already brought their valentines in to share. We will have our party at 2:15.

We took our spelling test today so that all we have left tomorrow will be the reading test. We re-read the story today and discussed the questions that might be on the test. We also worked on personification and conjunctions. We had our math test yesterday and most students did fairly well. I will be taking groups tomorrow to work on the problem areas. Tyler Cahoon earned 100% on his test.

We ended the day discussing bullying. Mrs. Smith came in and talked to the students about things they might not see as bullying, but really were. Before she came, we had a class discussion, trying to help students understand how important it is to take care of each other. I hope it has a positive effect.

Tuesday

This morning we finished reading the story about Mr. McBroom and the Big Wind. We quite enjoyed it. We also reviewed our vocabulary and spelling words. Students need to study these on their homework sheets.

The math test was taken today. It is still in the process of being corrected, but most of the students finished on time. These students used the laptops and played fraction games at the site, Thinking Blocks. It is a good place to practice math.

In social studies we continued our study of mining in Idaho. Tomorrow we will learn more about the environmental effects. Students will determine how to still use our resources, but to do it while taking care of the earth. Remember, it is a short week this week. There is no school on Friday or Monday.

Monday Math test tomorrow

We had such a fun time reading this morning. We began the story, Mr. McBroom and the Big Wind. The students really enjoyed this Tall Tale. We read through and discussed our frequency words. I believe these words will help the students learn to read better and understand the meanings of more words. I ask the students to mark the words they don't know and then at the end of a column, we go back and discuss the meanings. Students also completed pg 96-97 in spelling

In math we reviewed for our test tomorrow. I will include some problems at the end of this blog. Then students were taught about Circle Graphs. Some will have taken it home as homework.

In Social Studies we are learning about the gold rush in Idaho. We are watching a short movie that explains about the goldrush, boom towns, and ghost towns.

Types of questions we will have on the test are: 1. Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Division Problems 2. Place value; 3,914,078 using the number what digit is in the hundred thousands place. What is the value of the 7? The digit in the hundred thousands place is 9. The value of the 7 is 70. 3. Given a number line with whole numbers and fractions, be able to identify where fractions and mixed numbers would go. To help students with this, use a ruler. Find 3 3/4, or 2 5/8, students often forget to look at the whole number. 4. Change improper fractions to mixed numbers. 4 5/7 multiply the 4 times the 7 and then add the five to the product. That number is the numerator. The denominator is the same denominator in the original fraction. So 4 5/7 would be 33/7. Then be able to change an improper fraction into a mixed number.We do this by dividing the numerator by the denominator. Students have to be able to compare fractions. One way is the obvious way. 1/2 is less than 3/4. And 1 1/2 is less than 2 1/2. Those should be obvious. But if it is not obvious, find a common denominator, and then multiply each fraction by 2/2 or 3/3 or whatever identify fraction which will give you a common denominator. Then students must list them as 1/2<3/4 or whatever the problem is. Students will also have to identify fractions. They will look at a picture and tell what fraction is shaded. They will need to be able to put fractions in simplest terms, such as reducing 8/12 to 2/3 I hope this helps.

Friday

We took tests on our reading and spelling today. Then for math we used the laptops and practiced fractions. Finally, students made their valentine boxes, Chinese lanterns, and fortune strips to celebrate the Chinese New Year of the Snake. Students got to attend a Star Discovery program in the library today.

Thursday - making Valentine boxes

Tomorrow the students will be making Valentine boxes or envelopes. Students need to bring any supplies they want to use. We do have construction paper to make envelopes. Thanks to the parents who have volunteered to help next Thursday afternoon with our party.

Today we finished our story about, The Big Wave. It was excellent. Now we are reading the entire book as the students want to know what happened. We also studied prepositions and prepositional phrases. We will work a little more on those tomorrow. Also we have reading and spelling tests tomorrow.

In math we continue to work on ordering and comparing mixed numbers. We had a problem today that kind of surprised me. But we decided that with some critical thinking skills, looking at the different fractions and what they really meant, we could still put them in order without finding the same denominators. As we hadn't dealt with the before, it was a bit of a wake -up call to use our critical thinking skills when we aren't sure of an answer. In science the students are learning about the different states of matter. It is a fun lesson.

Remember, book orders need to be in by Tuesday. The code is LJ87V if you want to order online.

Wednesday

We read a sad story today. It is called, The Big Wave. A young boy in Japan loses his entire family to a tsunami. He is taken in by a kind family. It was very touching, especially as a tsunami just hit the Soloman Islands yesterday. We also took our spelling test.

During math we are moving forward comparing mixed numbers and improper fractions. It is exciting to see how quickly the students are understanding this.

Our Valentines Day party will be February 14th from 2:15 until 2:50. Any parents willing to help by bringing treats and possibly coming up with a short game, would be appreciated. Please let me know. I think we just need two or three parents or grandparents to help. Thanks for all that you do.

Book orders are going home today. You can order online using the code LJ87V. The family needs to make an account and use a credit card to order. Or you can always send the money and order form to school.

Monday

We finished reading the story about Matt Henson today. We read in our groups. Tomorrow, we will start a new story. Students studied their spelling words to prepare for the test tomorrow.

In math we reviewed how to change mixed fractions to improper fractions and improper fractions to mixed fractions. If the students did not finish, they had the paper as homework.

Tomorrow is our first spelling test. Please study hard so you don't have to take the test on Friday!

Monday

We started reading our new story today. It is about a man named, Matt Henson, who went to the Arctic. We reviewed our spelling and vocabulary words and checked our Language Arts practice.

In math we are doing more with fractions. The students are learning about mixed numbers and improper fractions. We are learning how to move them around, and changing the mixed to improper and the improper to mixed. There is no additional homework today.

Friday and tests

I am re-thinking our Friday test schedule. Most of the students do very well with what we are currently doing, the change will not hurt them. But a few students are really struggling by the time they are taking the math test. I am seriously contemplating changing our math test to Tuesday. This will give us Monday afternoon to review and remember the information and then on Tuesday, first thing in the morning (which is usually reading time) we will test. I hope this will allow the students to be fresh and alert during this time. If anyone has thoughts on this, please share it with me.

We did the tests yesterday. We also did our art project combining groundhog day, Presidents Day, and Valentines Day. We will spend more time on the Presidents later, but we now have some very creative projects in the hall.

Thursday Tests tomorrow

Today we learned about comparative and superlative adjectives. We compared the Forty-niners to the Ravens. That was interesting. We will have our reading test and our spelling test tomorrow.

It is our math test tomorrow. Students should have brought home a paper to practice. We went over the information in class today. Then at the last recess I invited anyone who wasn't getting it to stay and get help.

Remember, tomorrow is maroon and white day. Wear your colors!

Wednesday

We re-read our story today. Students went into different groups and Mrs. Reeder read with one group while I read with another. The other two groups did the reading on their own. We took our spelling tests. Students also worked on their spelling pages 88-89

In math we corrected last night's homework. Students who did not turn the paper in will get a zero until it is turned in. We continued to work on fractions and figuring out how to find common denominators. This is a skill that comes with practice and with a knowledge of the multiplication tables.Students who didn't finish today's assignment pg 525 1-9 have that as homework tonight.

Tuesday Homework and Spelling Test

Students read a short excerpt from the book, "Island of the Blue Dolplins." We also studied spelling words, which are all plurals, and our vocabulary words. I have kept a few students in for a few minutes of recess so we can read parts of the story again to help with reading fluency.

In math class we continued working on equivalent fractions and ordering fractions. Students are understanding this, but they do have a homework sheet that went home to help them understand the concept. They must show all of their work showing how they figured out the answer.

We will have our spelling test tomorrow.

Spelling words:tomatoes, countries, dollars, eagles, inches, leashes, monkeys, numbers, smudges, taxes, relishes, sandwiches, umbrellas, bicycles, ferries, arrows, ages, times, tides, cliffs

Monday

The snow kept us from starting school on time today, so our reading and language arts time was shorter. I decided to give a multiplication test and have the students take STAR tests this morning. For math we reviewed ordering fractions. Students need to find a common denominator and then find an identity fraction to multiply so they can figure out which fraction is larger. It will take a few more days to get this, so we will be patient.

Thursday - Tomorrow no math test

We will have our reading and spelling test tomorrow, but we are going to skip the math test and use our time on figuring out fractions. Many of the students are understanding, but there are some who are really struggling with order fractions with different denominators. We reviewed it today, but it isn't strong with them yet.

We reviewed our story and worked on metaphors in class. One group had to come up with a metaphor and another group had to guess what it meant. We discovered that it was easier to determine the intended meaning of a simile than a metaphor.

In Social Studies we continued telling our own family's story of migrating to Idaho. Those students who didn't have their paper in were given a paper to take home so that parents would know to help them.

Tomorrow is 100 days of school so the children will have a party at 2:00 to celebrate that event.

To help your child with ordering fractions: They need to be able to see the least common multiple (we haven't used that phrase yet) or the lowest number that both numbers can divide into evenly. So if you have a fraction of 2/6 and 3/4, what is the lowest number that 6 and 4 divide into evenly. That would be 24. Next, what identify fraction (a fraction that equals 1 like 2/2, 3/3, 4/4 etc) can you multiply 2/6 by to give it a denominator of 24. That would be 4/4 and you would have 8/24. Then what identity fraction can you multiply 3/4 by to give it a denominator of 24. You would multiply it by 6/6 and have 18/24. Then it is easy to see that 18/24 is larger than 8/24.

Wednesday

Students took their spelling tests today. The tests are graded and should be back to the students so they can study tonight and tomorrow night. Students also re-read the story, Shadow of the Bull, Those who have missed school have been asked to take it home and read it.

In math we are comparing fractions. Students are learning that fractions compare very differently to whole numbers. They still need practice on equivalent fractions.

Students were supposed to bring in information about who, why, and when their families came to Idaho. Those that brought in the information did a good job.

Tuesday Spelling test tomorrow

In Social Studies today we learned more about the first groups that came to Idaho. Students are supposed to go home and ask these four questions: 1. When did our family first come to Idaho (generationally so this could include grandparents and great-grandparents) 2. Who came first? 3. Why did they come? 4. What nationality is your family? This will be a part of our lesson tomorrow.

In our math class we began comparing different fractions and deciding which fraction is larger. First we used our fraction blocks and then we did a work sheet to see if we could understand the difference. Tomorrow we will be going over our math test so the students can learn from their mistakes.

Our spelling test is tomorrow. We reviewed the spelling and vocabulary words today. Then we talked about our story from yesterday. Students who were absent were asked to take the book home to read it.

Lastly, a packet went home today. Students are to fill out as many of the postcards as they can and then return the entire packet tomorrow. This project helps get money for the school, so if you can help the students do this, please do.

Monday

Homework pages went home today. Please encourage your student to do the work. I am counting it for a homework grade. We read, Shadow of a Bull, today and worked on our math. Then we stopped to watch the swearing in of the President and listen to his speech. I am just thinking, the next time this happens they will be in 8th grade and much more aware of what is going on in the world.

In math we are still working on equivalent fractions, but it is going one step further. Students are given two fractions that are equivalent, however either the numerator or denominator is missing on one of the fractions. They must show their work, how did they get the answer. By showing their work they can logically recognize if the answer makes any sense. We also are doing the simplest fraction which basically is, how far can you reduce the fraction. Most of the students did not finish in class and should have worksheets to take home.

On Friday, at 2:00, we will be celebrating the 100 days of school with a short assembly. As it is Martin Luther King day today, students received a little booklet about him today. I encouraged them to talk about it with their parents.

Friday

We took our tests today. We also learned a little bit about bacteria. Did you know that if you don't follow the directions on your bacterial soap, you could be killing good bacteria? After our math tests students were allowed to play the multiplication game with dice.

After Show and Tell, and since Martin Luther King Jr day is Monday, we watched a movie and wrote down some of the quotes of Martin Luther King Jr. We discussed the importance of being kind to everyone around us and treating them respectfully.

Thursday - tests are tomorrow

We studied for our math and reading tests tomorrow. Some students asked if they could take their reading books home and I assured them it was fine. Some students will also have a spelling test. Please study. We also finished reading about invertebrates. We learned quite a lot. Did you know sea stars eat mussels by pulling the shell apart and then putting their own stomach on the mussel and sucking it up? That was quite intriguing to the students.

Our math test will only be about fractions. Students will need to be able to show if a fraction is equivalent to another fraction. If shown a picture, they will need to be able to write the fraction for the picture. Then if given a fraction they will need to be able to draw a picture to represent the fraction. On a number line, students need to be able to identify how many parts are shown, and then identify which part, labeled A, B, or C is a specific fraction. These all have been reviewed with the students.

Students who did not finish their math papers in class are taking them home to finish as homework. They will be allowed to check their work as they come into class tomorrow so they can quickly see if they did it correctly and get help if they did not.

Wednesday - fix math test and return

Students took their spelling tests today. The tests are corrected and students were asked to take them home. We read more about invertebrates today. We also reviewed our math test today. Students are to correct their mistakes and to return the math paper tomorrow all corrected. We will continue to review the missed problems so students will conquer the material.

In Social Studies we are studying the counties of Idaho and learning the song. Students did pretty well with that. I am starting this early so they can get the song deep into their heads.

Wednesday

After finishing our story today, we learned about cause and effect. The students wrote sentences to practice. Then we started reading about invertebrates. Students will start writing a five paragraph on the article.

We worked on fractions again today. The students are understanding them, but they are struggling trying to make sense of 1/2 is equivalent to 2/4 and how to get it there. It will come in time. This is a very new concept.

In Idaho History the students got into groups to decide what they would be able to take along if they were settlers moving west on the Oregon Trail. Listening to the actual supplies was quite a surprise for some of them. I think it was the bacon that surprised me. I would have taken the trip just so I could eat bacon everyday!

Monday

Students took home the Scholastic Book orders last week. They need to be either turned in or done online (LJ87V is the online code for our class) by tomorrow.

Homework went home today. The spelling words, reading, math, vocabulary and writing assignments are included on that page. Please make sure that is completed and turned in on Friday morning. In spelling we are learning the spelling of the /sh/ sound. It is spelled with "sh" at the beginning and the end of words. The /sh/ sound is spelled with "ti" or "ci" in the middle of the words. We also covered the meaning of the vocabulary words which are: reservation, ominous, desolately, physician and maneuvered

Today we read about a Native American doctor in Nebraska. It is interesting how things have changed in just the last few years medically. We are still learning about fractions. Today was the first day we did the math to find equivalent fractions. Students learned that 1/2 and 3/6 were equivalent. Then they learned that by multiplying or dividing, we can prove the fractions are equivalent.

In Social Studies we began learning about the homesteaders that came into Idaho.

Spelling words are: shawl - attention - shelter - education - information - shatter - addition - publish - ambitious - shoulder - social - special - delicious - official - ancient - physician - vicious - instruction - directions - accomplish

Friday Tests and tests

Students took a reading, spelling and math test today. The spelling test grades are up on Gradebook. In the afternoon the students wrote posters showing their New Year's resolutions. They were to take them home and share them with their families. Have a safe week-end. This afternoon was the walk of fame for our AR readers. Kajsia, Elyse and Kori all got to walk today.

Thursday

We are preparing for tests on Friday. We reviewed out story, took fluency tests and reviewed our division skills. It went well.

Wednesday

We looked at the sliver of the moon this morning, fortunately, we could still see it. We write the weather everyday. We took our spelling test today, then we moved on to learning how to write a business letter.

In math we are continuing fractions. I think the students are understanding so far. Today we talked about Benchmark Fractions. Those are the ones easily recognizable like 1/2, 1/3, 2/3, 1/4 and 3/4. I am sending home the papers everyday so you can see what we are covering. A few of the students will have homework tonight as they didn't finish their work in class.

Tuesday Spelling Test tomorrow

We finished reading our story. It was very interesting and generated a lot of discussion. We also studied for our spelling test tomorrow. There is a mistake on the homework handout on the spelling list. The last word should be "cheek," not "reach."

We are still working of fractions in math. I sent home a paper that should help the students prepare for math test on Friday. It does not have to be returned, but it would help if the students work through the problems.

In science the students are learning about biomes.

Monday

Homework pages went home today. Students should do all of the requirements, spelling, reading, math, writing and vocabulary. It shouldn't take longer than 40 minutes each night, 20 minutes to read, five minutes to write about their reading, five minutes a night on math and 10 minutes a night on vocabulary. This homework grade will be added to the report card this trimester. It will help prepare the students for the ISAT tests they will be taking. Completing their homework will also teach them responsibility. At first, they need a little encouragement.

Today we read half of our story, reviewed the spelling words and then introducing the vocabulary. Tomorrow we will finish the story and then start writing a business letter.

In math, we are having fun with fractions. As the students get the concept, they will be able to use these fractions in the things they do everyday.

Friday

Friday is test day and we took our reading and spelling tests. We didn't take a math test as we have just begun a new section on fractions. We did review the test we took before Christmas so the students could recall what we learned so long ago. Every morning we review these concepts and the language arts concepts. This should help the students be prepared for their ISAT tests as well as learn the information they need to write and speak well. We still have a lot of sickness so make sure everyone gets a lot of sleep and healthy food this week-end.

This afternoon, after show and tell, we learned about Kwanzaa, a holiday that celebrates the African American culture. We watched a short video, talked about the origins of Kwanzaa and then made a little mat that teaches the seven principles of Kwanzaa. The mats were a bit of a challenge, but they turned out nicely.

Thursday

It has been cold the last couple of days. We had all but the last recess inside today. We have been studying hard for our spelling test, which will be tomorrow. It will be the type of test when students circle the correctly spelled word. We played, "Sparkle" today so the students could better prepare for their test. Those that were out were asked to finger-spell the words so they could continue practicing.

We reviewed our reading story so the students will also be ready for their reading test. We are working on fractions, currently just identifying them. We also practiced typing today. We had the computer lab in our room and so the students were able to use Mavis Beacon. Hopefully it will warm up a bit tomorrow.

Wednesday

We had an interesting day as the children learned about Christmas around the world. This afternoon students practiced for the Christmas program.

Students will have their Christmas party tomorrow at !0:45 and then we will have the program in the afternoon at the Dahle Performing Arts Center. This begins at 1:30. Hope you are able to come.

Tuesday

This morning we used Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol, to compare and contrast two different versions. Students wrote the setting, characters, plot, conflict, and resolution. We will watch one more and then compare the movies to see which parts are the same and different. It is seasonal and meets the requirements for the Common Core Standards. We also worked through divisibility rules again today.

Tomorrow will be Christmas around the world and practice for the Thursday Christmas program.

Monday - Christmas reading papers went home

Today, as students asked questions about the tragedy in Connecticut, we talked about it as a class. We discussed the emergency procedures that our school has in place, we talked about how to be a helper instead of a hurter. I hope that we were able to calm any fears students might have had.

A homework reading sheet went home today, it is Christmas green. It explains what is happening this week, and it has a place for parents to sign as students read over the holidays.

Friday Test Day - Tragic Day

Friday has turned into a very tragic day with all of the heart-break and heroism in Connecticut. By Monday, most of the children will know about it, and if they don't their friends will make sure they do. I would encourage you to discuss it with them so that they don't first hear about it on Monday. Mr. Rogers, one of my heroes, said that when something bad happened when he was little, his mother said that he should look for the helpers. She told him that there were bad people, but there were many more helpers and that most of the people are helpers. I thought it was a good way to explain insanity to a child and still give them hope.

Next week we will be having some party time, but students still need to stay on task and get their work done. Wednesday is Christmas around the world and practice for Thursday's program. Thursday we will have reading in the morning, party after first recess, (10:45) where children will exchange gifts, and then the program in the afternoon. May you have a very Merry Christmas and may our country be blessed with peace throughout the new year.

Thursday - Tests and White and Maroon day

We went to the auditorium today so the students could do a quick run-through of their Christmas program. The students did pretty well. We are singing, "I'm Getting Nothing For Christmas," and signing and singing, "Away in a Manger." The children did pretty well. The program will be next Thursday at 1:30 p.m. in the Auditorium.

Today we talked about Coming of Age, meaning a time in your life when you must make a good decision and by making it you grow up, even just a little. The students then wrote a story of a time that they made a good decision, even if it was difficult. Then we played jeopardy to help students study for the reading, spelling and vocabulary tests tomorrow.

In math we studied for our test tomorrow. It will cover the normal things and also include double digit division. We will also have a six times table test. The students have got to put the time in to get these down. I am explaining to the children that doing a division problem is a lot like a video game, you have to guess the best way to go, sometimes you go the wrong way, then you have to back up and try again. The test is tomorrow.

Finally we had a treat for Hannukah, learned the dance Hava Nagilla and danced Mayim too. They did a lot better today and seemed to enjoy it more.

Wednesday

We took our spelling test today. Then students got in groups and re-read the story aloud together. This team reading should help with fluency. In math students has a pre-test on their 6 multiplication tables. We need to continue working on these so we can move on in math.

In math we also started using two digit divisors. The students worked on their white boards and then in teams to figure out the answers. We will continue with this tomorrow and then do a worksheet, while I take students aside to work on the questions they missed on their tests.

As we have been celebrating Hannukah this week, we learned the dance, "Mayim." It is a traditional Israeli dance and is quite easy to learn and fun to do. We also lit the fifth candle on our menorah.

We will be having our Christmas party on Thursday, next week at about 10:50 p.m. If your student wants to participate in the present exchange, please have them bring a wrapped gift. If it is something specifically for a boy or a girl, please make sure that is marked on the gift so our boys don't get hair bows.

Tuesday - Spelling test tomorrow

Today we learned about Hannukah and why the Hebrew nation celebrates it. Tomorrow we will be learning a dance and Thursday and Friday we will taste some of the food used to celebrate Hannukah as we continue to learn about the holidays of different cultures.

We covered the spelling words to prepare for tomorrow's test. Students then worked in their workbooks. We learned about metaphors like, "His stomach is an empty pit," or "She has an iceberg for a heart." Next we reviewed the story that we read on Monday and students wrote about one of the characters in the story.

In math students continued working on dividing by multiples of ten. Students should have taken their Friday tests home yesterday. Parents were to sign these and then make sure I get them back. This way I can keep track of where each student needs help and parents can see what we are doing.

Monday - book orders due tomorrow

We read a new story today called, "Bridge Dancers." It told how a younger sister, who had paid attention, was able to help her older sister when she cut her leg. It is a good story. We also started working on our spelling words.

Homework pages went home today. Students will be learning their 6 multiplication tables this week. They must get these down. We are also learning about dividing with multiples of ten. It is fairly easy, and the children seem to be getting it.

If you want to order a book for your child online, you can use the code L8J7V to order.

Friday - Book orders due Monday L8J7V

We took our tests today, made snowflakes and learned Spanish. It was fun. Christmas is coming soon. Students are asked to bring a wrapped gift to exchange with another student. Please keep the gifts inexpensive.

Book orders need to be in on Monday. This can be done online using the classroom code L8J7V. If you do not want your child to know you have ordered a book for them, let me know through email or a phone call and I will keep the book for you to come and pick up. My email is cwinward@wssd.k12.id.us

The Christmas party will be at 10:45 December 20th. In the afternoon the children will do their Christmas program at the Dahle building at 1:30.

Thursday - Tests tomorrow

Students took the Star test again today to see where they are in reading. All students were told the color dot that fits with their score. However, I am encouraging them to make sure they are reading books they find interesting. Dot colors are a good indicator, but enjoying your reading is more important. We played Jeopardy today to give the students the opportunity to study for their reading tests tomorrow. Students started reading the story, then they asked each other questions, finally we played Jeopardy. In math we reviewed dividing with a three number dividend. The students practiced dividing with a multiple of ten divisor. This will not be on the test tomorrow as we just started doing it. Adding and subtracting four digit numbers could be something you could work with to prepare your students for their tests. In Idaho History we wrote a diamante poem and finished our limerick about Louis and Clark. It was fun, then the students ran to music. The school is having a food drive asking students to bring in canned foods for the hungry. If you feel you are able to help, please send a can of food with your child.

Wednesday

Students took their spelling test today and did quite well. We also started on our next five paragraph essay. If they didn't finish these, they are homework. Ask your child and see if they brought it home.
In math today we returned to dividing three digit numbers, 345 / 4 = The students are mostly getting this. However, if you have a few minutes, you might be able to sit down with your child and ask them to do a similar problem just to make sure they are comprehending the process. In Social Studies we read about the Spauldings and Whitmans as they traveled west. It must have been a difficult trek for them.

Tuesday

Today in reading we finished the story, "Sewed Up His Heart." It is a very interesting story. We then reviewed our spelling words. Remember there is a spelling test tomorrow. In math we are talking about what a remainder really means. One problem we did was: If you have 86 students to move in vans with 6 seats each, how many vans will you need? The answer is a surprise to the students because the actual answer is not the answer to the division problem. The quotient is 14 with a remainder of 2. But if you have two students left over, you need one more van, hence the answer, instead of being 14 remainder 2 is 15. Some of the children didn't finish their work and they need to do it as homework. The page is 385 doing problems 3-10. In Social Studies we learned about the different groups of missionaries that came to Idaho. Then the children went to P.E. We are working hard on our A.R. reading. Please encourage your student to take tests on the books they read. Cole has fixed the problem so this should be working at home. Make sure your child is reading books they enjoy. Reading at their level is important to progress, but also reading something pleasant and not as difficult is important to enjoying reading. As the year is coming to a close, we need to thank the parents that come in every week to help. If there are any others who want to come, let me know and we will figure out a schedule for you. Thanks for all you do.

Monday - Homework - fix test

In reading today, we read about the first heart surgery. The story was interesting and the children saw a movie based on the life of Daniel Hale William. We reviewed the spelling words. These have gone home as homework. In math we reviewed the math test. Students took their math test home to fix the problems they got wrong. Then they need to bring the tests back so I can put it in the evidence file for each student. In Social Studies we learned a limerick about Lewis and Clark. Then the students were supposed to make up their own limerick about Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery.

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.

Wednesday Happy Halloween

We had our pre-test in spelling today. We worked on writing a good sentence. This concentrated on making sure there is a subject and a predicate. Then we used our vocabulary words to do some dictionary work. Next, students came up with sentences with adverbs and adjectives to dress the sentences up. It was fun. In math, we attacked the multiplication algorithm. The biggest problem that I am seeing right now is carrying. The students want to write the entire number in the answer instead of carrying the tens over. We will continue to work on this until they are all more comfortable with it.. I do need to share a nice thing. I am fasting from chocolate till next week, so when the children encouraged me to get the dessert at lunch, I told them it was chocolate so I could't. They told me that the cake always had a marshmallow candy pumpkin on it. I said it would be too tempting to eat the chocolate so I better not. So, your sweet children gave me five pumpkin marshmallows so I could have a treat. What very nice children we have in our class. We went to the play at the auditorium. I have to tell you, our class was very well behaved. Finally, thanks to Mrs. Evans and Mrs. Reeder for their treats today. The children so enjoyed them.

Tuesday

We finished reading our story today. Students made a chart showing the different things that happened in the story. Next we reviewed our spelling words and practiced commas. Finally students worked on their five paragraph essay on transportation. In math we worked, again, or arrays and multiplication. Today I gave the students a problem and had them draw the array that went with the problem. Then we did it in long multiplication fashion. Tomorrow we will begin work on the algorithm that we all recognize when doing two digit multiplication. In Idaho History students wrote all the things they thought Lewis and Clark would be taking with them on their journey. Then we played the game, Go West Across America With Lewis and Clark, an online game on National Geographic. Students had to do some re-thinking on their list. Today was P.E., afterwards we cleaned the room and read our book. We also talked about AR points. If your child wants to take the test online just go to the school website and then to Renaissance Place. Right now 4B is nearly in last place. I know students have been reading.

Monday

We started a new story today, students read it in teams. The studied their spelling words and then started on a new essay about cars. In math we are still trying to master arrays and multiplication. I think they are getting closer. During Idaho History we learned about the Lewis and Clark expedition. We will do a little more tomorrow.

Friday Halloween Party

Thanks so much to Mrs. Ballif, Mrs. Cahoon and Mrs. Parrish who came in to help with our Halloween party. Mrs. Ballif had some great games for the children to play. We all had a really fun time. This morning we did our spelling and reading tests. Then for math we did our arrays again. I think they are getting them a little better. Don't forget the carnival tonight from 6 - 8 at the elementary school. See you there!

Thursday pumpkins tomorrow!

We will have our spelling and reading test tomorrow morning. And then, instead of a math test, we are going to work on our arrays again. We will be doing it with dice and disks. I hope that they find this more enjoyable while still getting the idea. Here is a link that demonstrates the basic idea of arrays. But we are doing it using graph paper to show the actual sizes of each section. We put the numbers inside of each rectangular box. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMLf6sQLa40&feature=related Our Halloween party is tomorrow afternoon. Please make sure your child has a pumpkin to decorate. We will decorate the pumpkins after lunch recess at 12:35 and then there will be the parade at 1 and then we will have our treats. Here are the dioramas from our Idaho Native American presentation:

Wednesday - wear red tomorrow for drug week

Thanks to all of you who were able to make it to parent-teacher conferences. I know it is a hard thing with work and time schedules. Tomorrow is wear red day - it is part of our anti-drug week. Also we are having our Halloween party on Friday. Make sure your child has a pumpkin there.

Tuesday Parent Teacher conferences tomorrow

We are enjoying Red Ribbon Week. Students are wearing their red ribbons and learning how to stay away from drugs. Today we worked on writing a Halloween poem and did our second paragraph in our five paragraph essay. We had a great time with the snow today. In math we re-taught some concepts. In Social Studies students are working on their Native American projects. They are making dioramas and planning reports. Please make sure your child brings their supplies. Parent teacher conferences are tomorrow. The book fair is also going on this week so come and buy some Christmas gifts for your family.

Monday

There is a lot going on this week. It is Parent Teacher Conferences on Wednesday, Thursday students are to wear red for anti-drug week, Friday we can wear costumes and decorate pumpkins. Please make sure your child has a pumpkin to school by Friday morning. We started on a new story today. It was about an entrepreneur and how he stared his business. It was quite interesting. We worked on spelling and then started our new five paragraph essay, What I like (or dislike) about Halloween. Students got off to a great start on these. I know that the more we do them, the easier they will become. In math we learned that if you do doubles of the two multiplication facts, you get the answers to the four multiplication facts. It is a new strategy to help you be able to multiply. We also worked on multiplying by multiples of tens. We traced leaves and hung them around the room. Then the students finalized the plans for their Native American dioramas and projects. They will do their reports on Thursday (we hope.)

Friday

Students should have had spelling, reading and math tests today. They also were supposed to finish their five paragraph essay and draw a Halloween poem with a picture to go with it. Our little grand-daughter was born yesterday afternoon weighing in at 8 lbs 14 ounces. She is just cute

For Wednesday

On Wednesday we took our spelling test, more and more students are passing it. I hope we can reach 100% on that. We are still working on our five paragraph essay. This is really a struggle for the students, but it is something they can do. There is a writing test in December administered by the state and our 4th graders have to know how to do this. Our goal is that by December our students can write a five paragraph essay without a second thought. Currently we are doing one paragraph each day. Our new math program is finally starting to move forward. As teachers we are trying to find out how to meet the state requirements - it is a new experience for all of us, but I believe the students are moving along fine. One of the new parts of the new program is how we grade students. A one in any area means the student has not understood how to do the requirement. A two means the students are beginning to understand and able to do the requirement. A three means they have it. A four is rare, it means, not only do students get the concept, but they are a few steps even beyond understanding. This trimester students will be graded normally, we think. But we are striving to find ways to correct to meet this new goal. If you have any questions about this, we hope to have a flier out to you soon. I will be gone on Thursday and Friday, and that should be the end of my missing school days.

Tuesday - Spelling test tomorrow

Today students wrote their second paragraph of their five paragraph essay. It will take awhile for everyone to learn how to do this, but, considering this is fairly new, they are doing fine. Parents are concerned about math grade. The math program has changed this year, things are different. When students do a paper, if they don't understand, we have them redo the paper, or do similar problems until they understand. This takes time, but we are all working to figure out how to make this work right. If you are patient, we will get it. Please remember to get the pumpkins for your children to decorate for our Halloween party on the 26th.

Monday

There is a lot coming up in the next few weeks. Parent/Teacher conferences are coming up on October 24th. Parents should have received the information on the schedule. Then, on the 26th, the school will be celebrating Halloween. There will be a carnival that night. Our class will be decorating (drawing on) pumpkins for our art project that Friday afternoon. Students need to bring their own pumpkin and drawing materials. If they would like, they can even bring "Pumpkin clothes" to dress their pumpkin. Today we continued working on multiple factors. The biggest problem is that some students multiply the first two numbers and then add in the third one. We are also practicing the five paragraph essay. Students will write one each week, a paragraph each day. I hope this will help them be comfortable with how essays are supposed to work. Spelling and reading are also being done each day. Please make sure students are reading for twenty minutes each night. I am telling the students that it is their responsibility to make sure it is signed.

Thursday Spelling Test tomorrow

This morning we reviewed for our tests tomorrow by playing jeopardy. Students do need to study their spelling words. There will be a substitute tomorrow as I will be finishing the math class that is required for me to take. We sent home papers about Parent Teacher conferences. Please put that on your calendar.