Newsletter Week of November 2nd

Dear 4B Parents,

Happy All Saints’ Day!

I hope you all enjoyed the weekend, and the extra hour of sleep!  I was so proud of the excellent job the students did at the All Saints’ Day Mass last week. They represented the saints so well! I’m looking forward to our final All Saints’ Day Mass on Wednesday! Thank you all again for your help at home preparing the costumes and bringing your children to mass.

The next big mass is this Wednesday, November 4th for the (final) All Saints’ Day Mass!

Students should come to church completely dressed as their saintIf your child is reading at mass, please arrive at 8:00am sharp. Readers will practice on the microphone before mass. Everyone else, please arrive at 8:15, as we will need to get all families in their assigned seats. Thank you for getting your little “saints” here on time. Please refer to this link for COVID screening and protocols.

You will find a “Reserved for Saint……..” sign for your chid in your assigned seat. Look for your child’s reserved sign and sit in the pew with them. Please do not take pictures before or during the service. Also, please take the “Reserved for” signs with you when you leave.

These are the students that have signed up to attend the mass on Wednesday, 11/4:

Yafet (reader)

William

Matt

Harry (reader)

Dean (interviewed by Fr. Oakland)

Martine (reader)

Indy (interviewed by Fr. Oakland)

Nichole

Seeley (reader)

Music: Dear Parents – For music homework on Friday afternoons, your child will find a video in Google Classroom under the topic “Music”.  These videos review previous information for recorder instruction and introduce new material that will be used in future classes. In order for your child to stay current on our lessons, it is highly recommended that these videos be watched. Another excellent study habit is daily practice.  Four to five minutes per homework day is not much time but can make a huge difference. Setting a timer is a great idea as most kids will practice beyond the five minutes. Please know that our goal is to reduce frustration in class and forge ahead with new songs each week. Practice time aids in both.

Just a reminder, due to Covid 19 restrictions, students can only play the recorder at home. Upon return to school, we won’t be able to use them, so it is our hope that we can make the most out of the instrument while we can use them. The recorder offers a worthwhile foundation for learning to play other instruments.  God-willing we back to normal next year and can offer band instruction again to our 5th Grade. Thanks again for the encouragement towards your child in learning this instrument. Ms. Mudge

 

Veterans Day: Ms. Simpson went over the Veteran’s Day Flag Project in detail last week. This is a project that students should complete with their families as homework. Thank you for assisting your child on this special project, which is due no later than this Friday, November 6th. On Tuesday, November 10th, we will have a classroom prayer service to honor the Veterans using these flags.  If you do not know a Veteran you can honor, you can research data bases online with profiles of Veterans.  Here is one site we have used in the past.

Reading: Students will be reading chapters 5-8 in Charlotte’s Web. As we study the main characters, students use text evidence in the form or quotes and actions to identify character traits.
Important: Students should have posted their completed “Postcard from the Barn” to Seesaw. They were given time in class last week and this was also listed as Friday afternoon homework. It is important that students complete any work from the week on Friday afternoons and post it before the weekend. We try not to assign other homework besides nightly reading for this purpose. Thank you for double-checking the daily checklist with your child to make sure all quizzes, tests and assignments are completed and turned in when due.

 

Spelling: The students do have a spelling test on Friday this week. The words all have long “e” sounds.  One challenge word is required.

Language Arts: We are making good progress with our Saint reports.  Last week the students wrote prayers to their saints, this week they will be writing about how they can be more like their saint.  The plan is to have the entire report completed on or before November 12th.  The saint reports will be sent in to school to be graded during the drop-off/pick up days on November 13th and 14th.

Religion: This week the students will be visiting classrooms dressed in their saint costumes. The students need to have their costumes on for Thursday afternoon and Friday morning.

Math: We started chapter 3 last week, which is a deep dive into understanding multiplication and division. There is a lot of thought that is going into this chapter, and it can be challenging for fourth graders! Please make sure your child is practicing their multiplication facts at least 3x per week for 10-15 minutes. All students have playing cards, so this is a good supplement to Xtra Math. Just have them pull two cards and find their product as fast as possible.

Science: Your fourth grade scientists are creating their own experiment this week! They will test how their reaction time changes when they include a variable of their choice. Help your child get creative! They could try with sunglasses, their non-dominant hand, their feet…the possibilities are endless! Be on the lookout for a special science visitor to our zoom room this week.

Social Studies: The SE State test will take place this Thursday the 5th.  I had originally said the 4th, but changed the date because of the Saint Mass.  Our class work continues to focus on the Native People of Washington State.  Students are learning about the customs of the NW Coast People of Western Washington, and the Plateau People of Eastern Washington.

                                                 Have a wonderful week!

 

Ms. Benson