Weekly Update: Dec. 17-21

Weekly Update

Important Reminders:

• We have library today - if you need to return or renew books, and you didn't bring them today, bring them in this week.
• We will be making the Gingerbread Houses on Thursday morning - thank you for sending in items for the decorating!  I appreciate the help!
• Winter parties are Thursday, Dec. 20, at 2:00.
• Friday, Dec. 21, is a half day.  Dismissal is 11:40.
• PLEASE practice multiplication facts!  The students need to really know them quickly, and without having to use strategies to solve them.  We will be starting multi-digit multiplication and long division soon, and having those multiplication facts memorized will be a HUGE help!  On Google Classroom (just log in with your child's username and password, then save that to your computer, and you will then have access whenever) I put some multiplication websites and game directions under the "classwork" tab and then under the "Websites" topic.  Thanks for your help with practicing these facts!

• Please remember to check, and initial, your child's planner every night.  Homework and important notes are written in the planner daily.  Thanks for your help with this!
• Please send a snack with your child that is NUT FREE every day, as we do not eat lunch until 12:10.  Thanks!

Important Dates to Remember:

• Dec. 18 - PJ Day --- we are pretending it is a Snow Day at School so wear your favorite pajamas. 
• Dec. 20 - Winter Parties
• Dec. 21 - End of the Second Quarter
• Dec. 21 - Half Day of School
• Dec. 22 - Jan. 2 - Winter Break
• Dec. 27 - Concord Family Bowling at 2:00
• Jan. 3 - School resumes

Check Out What We Are Learning This Week:
Writing:  

We completed our Unit 2 writing last week.  We will be sharing the projects the kiddos made to answer our PBL question this week.  Pics to come.  We will be finishing our Elf for Hire persuasive pieces, creating a plan for our Gingerbread Houses, and learning the qualities of good freewriting while writing a story about our Gingerbread Houses.  

Reading:  

We are finishing Unit 2: Reading Informational Books.  We will be focusing on analyzing the auhtor's craft, and analyzing parts of a text.  

Read Aloud:

We are continuing to read The Wild Robot.  

Math:  

We are continuing with Ch. 7: Patterns and Sequences this week.  In this chapter we will learn nonnumeric and numeric patterns, sequences, addition and subtraction rules with input/output tables, multiplication and division rules with input/output tables, order of operations, equations with two operations, and equations with multiple operations.  Our test is on Wed., Dec. 19.

***Knowing your multiplication facts is extremely important as we move forward in math, so keep practicing those facts!  We will continue to practice multi-digit multiplication and long division.

***In order for students to show mastery with a standard, they will be doing "Check-ins" throughout the year to show that they didn't just memorize the skills for the test, but that they retained the skills, thus showing mastery.  My goal with the check-ins is to make sure that the 4th grade Math Standards are mastered by all students by the end of the year! ***

Spelling:  

We are  continuing to learn the patterns of our current sorts.  Students will given new sorts after break.  I had the students take another spelling inventory to assess where they are in spelling.  Based on those inventories, some students may be changing spelling groups.  

Our next sight word test will be on Friday, January 11th.   Remember these are the words that do not follow a pattern, and need to be memorized.  Students will need to not only spell the words correctly, but be able to read them in order to "pass" this group of words.

Social Studies:

 We will begin Ch. 6: Early English Settlements.  We will learn about Roanoke, Jamestown, and Plymouth.  We will discuss what challenges were faced in the first English colonies.  We will also begin Ch. 7: Comparing the Colonies.  We will learn about the three colonial regions - The New England Region, the Middle Region, and the Southern Colonial Region.  We will discuss how these three colonial regions were alike and different.  Our quiz over Ch. 6 & & will be Thursday, Dec. 20th.  THIS QUIZ WILL BE OPEN NOTES!!!

We will complete Ch. 8: Slavery in Americas this week.  We will go over triangular trade, slavery in the colonies, and life as a slave.  

Have a GREAT Week!