Dear 4B Families
I hope you all had a nice weekend, despite the lost hour of sleep! The extra daylight hours are always nice, but the time change can throw off the sleep schedules a bit. The good news is it looks like warmer temperatures are on the way. We begin the 3rd and final trimester of the year this week!
We have a very special event this Thursday the 14th.The “Of Cedar and Salmon” program will be set up in the School Hall all day just for the 3rdand 4thgrade students. This multi-media, multi-cultural, hands-on educational program is designed to teach students about the native art and culture of the Pacific Northwest Coast. This program supports and supplements the 3rd and 4thgrade studies of Native People and cultures. Parents are welcome to come at any point during the day to check out the displays and program.
Oral Biographies: If you have not done so already, please sign your child up for a time to present his/her oral biography using this link to the Google Drive. . Next Wednesday the 20th the students in 4B will have an hour of class work time for their oral biography projects. Students can work on their notes, plan/practice any part of their presentation, ask questions or get advice from their classmates or me. Every student needs to bring in materials to either work on or practice their presentation. All students are expected to use their time productively. All students need to come to school with a plan of what they will be working on during the hour—and the materials they will need to use their time well.This also gives the sub a chance to check in with the students and see if they need anything as they prepare to present. If the work time goes well and students are interested, we may add a second work time on Friday the 22nd as well.
Spelling/LA : There is no spelling test this week. The list for next week will come home this Thursday. The students have been working hard on their mini bio posters in class. They will get a chance to practice presenting in the style of the big biography project when they share their posters in the “voice” of the person they wrote their report on.
Reading: This week we will be reading a wonderful and emotional story called “Train to Somewhere”. It is based on the Orphan Trains that ran from 1854 to 1929. This story ties in with our Oregon Trail studies, and will help the students better appreciate the struggles and challenges faced by the children of this time in our history.
Math: From Ms. Simpson: I am proud of the growth the students have made mastering the long division algorithm. It takes perseverance to master this challenging skill. Interpreting remainders remains a bit more challenging and we will continue to practice strategies to tackle story problems successfully. Your assistance at home checking over homework is appreciated. Just a reminder, whenever students are completing story problems they are required to label all answers appropriately. Understanding the problem is just as important as accurate computation. My group’s division chapter test will take place next Tuesday the 19th. From Mrs. Podell: I am amazed at how well the students have mastered the long division algorithm. They also have done well interpreting remainders. Since they are doing so well, we are going to review the chapter tomorrow and test on Tuesday.
Homework: The bulk of homework time should be spent on the Oral Biography Presentations. I will give extra time to complete as much math and other homework at school as possible in the next two weeks.
