Welcome Back! I hope you have all had a restful and enjoyable holiday break. Time spent with family and friends is always time well spent.We are now half way through fourth grade. Expectations are increasing everyday. My goal for the second half of fourth grade is motivating the children to always go "above and beyond" the minimum. Full effort is always expected! I am hopeful that all my students will be able to meet these challenging expectations.
Reminders:
-Lesson 15 spelling pretest on Monday.
-Begin the Midwest Reading Log on Monday.
-Music class on Monday and Thursday.
-Adjective pretest on Wednesday.
-Lesson 15 spelling test on Friday.
-Open book/notes Southeast quiz on Friday.
-Adjective contracts will be due on Friday.
-Adjective contracts will be due on Friday.
-Forgotten Lunches: Starting immediately students who do not have a lunch ticket or money will be able to borrow from the office providing there is not an outstanding balance due for lunch tickets. If your child forgets his/her hot lunch ticket or has used them all, he/she may bring $2.25 to school and purchase a ticket that day from the office staff. Students must have exact change to purchase a ticket; no change will be given. If a child has no lunch, no money, and the parent cannot be contacted, he/she may borrow from school office, but only twice per trimester. Students will no longer be able to borrow lunch tickets from the lunchroom staff.
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English:
We will begin the week by finishing our expository writing prompt - If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?
The children will also take their next English pretest on Adjectives. They will receive their contracts on Thursday. That evening, they will need to choose an enrichment option. I will be meeting with each child on Friday to discuss their enrichment choices. We will begin our adjective unit on Tuesday, January 15.
Reading:
We will begin working on reviewing many reading skills using our Illinois reading workbooks. Your child will have homework most evenings in this book. Most activities should be a review for your child from previous school years. Here and there, they may need parent support. We will always go over the lessons the following school day. Your child will be taking assessments on the lessons. Please make sure your child does not work ahead...stick to the assigned pages, please.
The children will also begin a new novel this week. We will be reading a Newbery Medal winner, Sarah, Plain and Tall. The children will be writing a journal/diary from the perspective of one of the children in the book. A rubric and specific instructions will be in your child's reading pocket. Most of this project will be done in school.
Science:Our study of Electricity will continue this week. We will be exploring the parts of a light bulb and their functions. On Tuesday, we will make a model of the filament of a light bulb. On Wednesday and Thursday, the students will discover which items are insulators and which are conductors of electricity. On Friday, the children will learn a secret electrical language.
Social Studies:
We will conclude our study of the Southeast Region this week. The children will be completing the pages in their region scrapbook. Specific guidelines will be given to the children. They should refer to these often. The children will also take an open book/notes quiz on chapter 7. I hope to begin the Midwest next week.Math (For Mrs. Sulima's and Mrs. Swaekauski's math students):
We will begin the week with a review of circles. The children will identify the radius, diameter, and circumference of a circle. On Tuesday & Wednesday, we will focus on perimeter and area. Finding the volume of space figures will be Thursdays lesson. On Friday, we will work together to do problem solving with a T-chart. The children will receive a "how to study" sheet on Friday. Our Geometry test will be on Tuesday, Jan. 15. The children will be allowed to use their notes (only) on this test. They will not be able to use their textbooks or t-chart done in class during the test.
Website of the Week
Have fun with some electricity games at:
Have fun with some electricity games at:
