Dear 4B Parents,
Happy Monday everyone! Hopefully the Seahawks will pull off a win tonight against Buffalo! I hope you all enjoyed your 
weekend, and the extra hour of sleep! We have a fun week ahead, highlighted by our Thursday trip to Pike Place Market! This Wednesday we will be having a special class prayer service to honor the veterans that the students are writing about on their flags. Just a reminder that the Veterans Day Flags that were sent home last week are due by this Wednesday the 10th at the latest. Thank you!
Pike Place Market! Thursday the 10th we will be heading off to wonderful Pike Place Market. Students are required to wear their uniforms, but they can wear their Gator Gear or their red Holy Rosary Sweatshirts. to the Market and they should wear good shoes for walking. Students will need to bring a sack lunch to eat with a beverage, (no soda please) and they may bring $5.00 to $10.00- to spend at the Market, but no more please. There is no cost for this field trip, but there is a cost for parking. If you are not driving and would be able to send in 2-3 dollars to help with the parking costs we would greatly appreciate it. Thank you!
Please make every effort to also send in a donation or two—or three… for the Pike Market Food Bank. We are hoping to have lots of donations to bring with us on Tuesday. Thank you so much!!!
Conferences: Parent/Student/Teacher conferences are fast approaching. If you have not already done so be sure to sign up for your conference on Sign Up Genius. If you are not able to make the conference times available please contact me to arrange an alternative time.
2016-2017 Yearbook Order forms were sent home last week. Be sure to send in your orders by November 23rd for a chance to win a free yearbook!
Spelling: Spelling lists were sent home last Friday for Unit 21. I apologize for my typo on the word environment on the challenge list. Now that is embarrassing! The test this week will be on Thursday due to the Veterans Day Holiday on Friday.
Religion: The Works of Mercy is our religion focus. The students will need to be able to list the seven Corporal Works of Mercy for a test next Friday the 18th. Students that are able to spell the list correctly as well will receive extra credit in spelling. At school we will be focus on each Work of Mercy and look for examples of people we know that live the Works of Mercy in our community and world.
Reading: Along with the spelling test the students also have a vocabulary assignment (also in your child’s filer) with 
words from our most recent chapters in Charlotte’s Web. Students will be writing original, well written, quality sentences that show the meaning of the word. The sentences should not be definitions however. Here are examples for the word trough. (Wrong way) A trough is a feed bin for animals. This example is a definition, not an original sentence. (Right Way) Wilbur eagerly ate his warm slops out of the trough three times a day. Completed sentences are due by next Tuesday the 15th.
Math: I have begun to give the students timed tests to check their multiplication knowledge and accuracy. Many students have done very well. From this point on I will be differentiating fact tests. I will move through fact tests 1-5, 5-9, 10-12 first with multiplication and then with division. The effort the students dedicate to this important skill will reap great rewards in math concepts to come! Thank you for your support of regular fact practice at home. While I would like students to continue with XtraMath on a regular basis, I do encourage a variety of practice forms. If you choose to work with your child using flash cards or paper and pencil tests in lieu of XtraMath for some of your nightly practice, that is fine. Look for math homework on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday this week.
Social Studies/LA: Look for corrected NE/SE map tests in your child’s filer on Monday. Our next set of states to learn are the Midwest States. This test will take place Tuesday, November 29th. Most of our Social Studies work will be dedicated to Pike Place Market prep and follow-up as related to our Washington State history work. We will also be writing thank you letters to our tour guides following the trip.
Science: We had great success last week with 4B’s solar ovens and were able to test them outside using the sun. Hopefully we will be able to test 4A’s solar ovens tomorrow. We will also be analyzing the insulation used in our solar ovens and its effectiveness. As our solar oven project comes to a close we will be tying in what we have learned about solar energy, as we move forward into our unit on energy. We will be looking at other forms of renewable energy as well as a range of energy types. Look for a solar-oven-study-guide to come home in your child’s filer on Monday. They will have a short quiz on Monday, November 14th.
Homework: Just a reminder about homework. In 4th grade homework is often ongoing. Students are generally reviewing/studying for upcoming tests. Currently they should be reviewing for their spelling test, Midwest State test and Corporal Works of Mercy test. Students that have not mastered their math facts for speed recall should be working on that nightly as well. So even if we have not sent home a math sheet or other specific worksheet, students should be setting aside nightly time to work on their ongoing homework and test prep as well as reading 20 minutes a night. Having a nightly routine, with an expectation that time is set aside each night for some schoolwork, will develop good habits and help prepare students for the upper grades.