McFarland-Mayberry-Begley Bulletin

for the week of December 8, 2014

If you would like to be notified whenever I post to our class blog, please click on the space to the right, “Follow by Email.”

Reading Workshop

This week, we have been working on some basic nonfiction strategies, such as identifying main ideas and the details from the text that support that idea (tough work, actually!) and strategies to get our minds ready to read nonfiction text.  Students are self-selecting some of their own NF books to read, and for some purposes I am choosing text for them.  Once we establish as solid an understanding of main idea as possible, we will start a research project after vacation, and students will demonstrate their knowledge through a Keynote project on the iPads!

     Students are bringing home their Text Features Quizzes from last Friday.  I gave this quiz after some review of text features, because I wanted to see how much more instruction kids needed.  If a child scored 70% or below, I gave them a study guide packet and study suggestions for over the weekend and the beginning of next week.  I want them to have a second crack at a quiz next Wednesday, after some further review of the text features.  Please have your child show you her/his quiz, so you will know whether you need to support your child in studying for the quiz.  Part of that might involve looking at some NF texts at home.  We will continue using text features in the classroom as well.

Writing Workshop

I’m very pleased with the way our writing work is going with informational text!  Each child has chosen a topic in which they have personal expertise, and they are writing sections of text to include in a poster project that we’ll work on in class after vacation.  Back in the day, we used to have students work with us to design the criteria and a rubric for a project, and for many reasons we let that go.  However, I’ve been reflecting on the value of that time and energy: 

     •Kids know what is expected, because they help decide.

     •They understand what actions to take to demonstrate their understanding at a fourth grade    level (or to partially meet those goals, or even to exceed those goal).

     •They are more engaged in their work, because of their ownership in the planning.

     •They feel more empowered by/responsible for/in control of/accountable for their own learning.

So both writing classes have had discussions about what will make a high quality piece of informational writing.  We have studied the checklist assessment that our Units of Study Writing Program has published.  We have taken notes on this checklist, of which every child has a copy and keeps in the writing folder, and has on the table during each workshop.  We’ve put things into more kid-friendly language.  Finally, students told me what they want mini-lessons about for the remaining time of this unit, based on these discussions.  Yes—they’re reflecting on what they know and what they want to understand better, and they are asking for certain mini-lessons!  So far this week, we have focused on elaboration (and we’ve defined that as “writing more, explaining more”).  We’re using kids’ suggested strategies are learning new ones.  Good stuff!

Math

This week we really got started with our decimal unit. Students were busy reading, writing, comparing and ordering decimals to the hundredths place. When reading decimals I am asking students to read them correctly, for example: 0.47 should be read as “zero AND forty-seven hundredths”. It is important for students at this level read the number correctly so they begin to get a better grasp on the actual value of the decimal number. 

Spelling

This week we reviewed patterns for the /s/ sound (sc, s, ss, ci, cy, ce) as well as how to add suffixes (-s, -es, -ly, -er).

Theme

Students participated in Colony Jeopardy on Monday to review for Tuesday’s quiz.  Students took their quiz on Tuesday.  I noticed that many students made a bigger effort to take their time and check their work, which is reflected in how all three classes performed.  We are now working on a mini science unit about waves, which is a part of the HOT science curriculum that I am piloting this year.  Students observed waves in action (via a slinky and in water) and discovered how waves in deep water and waves in shallow water act upon objects differently.  After vacation we’ll start a unit on Magnets and Electricity.

Due Dates / Upcoming Events:

Monday, December 15th - Reading logs due 

Tuesday, December 16th - Study link due

Wednesday, December 17th - Early Release / Sneakers for P.E.

Thursday, December 18th - Holiday Activity Swap / Spelling due

Friday, December 19th - Team Reading Day / Holiday Assembly

Mr. Brookes’s class is holding their annual Penny Drive to benefit the Bruce Roberts Toy Fund.  Members of his class came by last week to describe the purpose of this event.  We have an envelope in our class to collect change until December 17th.   

Have a great weekend!

McFarland-Mayberry-Begley Bulletin

for the week of December 1, 2014

If you would like to be notified whenever I post to our class blog, please click on the space to the right, “Follow by Email.”

Reading Workshop

We have shifted our focus to nonfiction texts in reading workshop.  We’re reviewing text features, such as index, glossary, headings, etc., but my intent is to build on these basics which the kids have already had experience with, and to teach strategies to become stronger, more critical readers of nonfiction text.  Soon, we will embark on a research project.  In the meantime, students will be reading lots of nonfiction in the classroom, while still maintaining a lot of fiction reading, mostly to be done through their at-home reading.

     Thank you for your support of the Read-a-Thon last week!  Mrs. Waterhouse is tallying up minutes read and dollars earned, and I am proud of our readers’ participation and achievement.  Sometimes it’s hard, when you’re nine, to feel like you can have an impact on others’ lives in the way of donations, and the Read-a-Thon is one way for children to truly make a difference!

Writing Workshop

We have also started a new unit in writing workshop: Informational Writing: Personal Expertise.  The kids are bringing what they have learned in previous grades to refine and deepen their writing skills during this fun unit.  Some kids have also already made connections between this new work and essay writing moves we focused on during the last unit — I love it when that happens!  Your child may assign her-/himself some homework over the next couple of weeks, which will be to look up a quick fact or two to support the writing project.  This is a project about a topic kids already know about; it’s not a research unit.  So these look-ups should be quick (checking a date, finding the spelling of a breed of dog), and they are 100% student-driven.  So if your child asks to go online at home for some info, this is most likely what it’s about.  Thanks in advance for your support!

Math

This week we spent time reviewing all the major concepts for unit 3 and students took the end of unit assessment on Thursday. Assessment packets will be sent home by the end of next week. Students also did some pre-assessment work for the next unit. Our next unit has a strong focus on decimals and measurement while continuing to solidify skills around multiplication.  

Spelling

This week we learned that the suffix -er can be added to words to mean “one who” or for comparison.  For example, a teacher is one who teachers.  The word bigger is used to compare sizes.  We also looked at words with tricky schwa endings: or, ar, and er.  

Theme

This week students completed the final activity in the Pilgrim simulation, trading with the Wampanoag tribe.  Everyone finished their Pilgrim journals, and they are in take home folders today - happy reading!

     We spent the rest of the week preparing for our end of unit quiz.  We filled out a study guide together and students had a class period to make a tool (flash cards, Jeopardy board, Memory game, etc).  I did not dictate the type of tool they made this time, as I’d like the kids to start making choices about what works for them as a learner.  We will review in class on Monday and the quiz will be Tuesday. 

Holiday Gift Ideas for Your Child

This is a great time of year to ask your child about replenishing her/his school supplies, particularly colored pencils and skinny markers.  We have a few projects coming up that will involve some art work, and everyone needs a full (basic) set of each.  Many students are all set; others have used theirs a lot and need more.  Another stocking stuffer idea for some kids is Sharpie markers.  We use black ones, specifically the fine point and extra fine point, for outlining artwork and tracing lettering.  I have had a plentiful supply in the classroom, but this fall many of them have disappeared.  So, that makes me think that this group of kids really likes to use them!  It might make sense for your child to have one of each in her/his pencil box.

Penny Drive

Mr. Brookes’ class has started their annual penny drive to benefit the Bruce Roberts Toy Fund.  Members of his class came by this week to describe the purpose of this event.  We have a big baggie in our class to collect change until December 17th.  

Color Guard News

Many students on our team are involved in color guard as an extracurricular activity this year.  We wanted to let everyone know that the color guard will be holding an Arbonne fundraiser at Doc’s Cafe on Saturday, December 13th from 10am-1pm.  15% of the sales will go to the group to help pay for competition fees and flags.  We would love for you to come by and do some shopping to support our team.  

Due Dates / Upcoming Events:

Monday, December 8th - Reading logs due / No study link will be assigned / study for Colony quiz

 Tuesday, December 9th - Colony quiz

Wednesday, December 10th - Early Release 

Thursday, December 11th - Spelling due / ABL

Friday, December 12th - Study link due

McFarland-Mayberry-Begley Bulletin

for the week of November 17, 2014

If you would like to be notified whenever I post to our class blog, please click on the space to the right, “Follow by Email.”

Reading Workshop

Students put to work their knowledge of identifying signposts on a reading assessment with a short familiar-to-most text, Those Shoes.  The objective is to see how well each reader can independently identify and do some deep thinking about certain aspects of a text.  After the Thanksgiving break, we will be reading LOTS of nonfiction!  Don’t be surprised if your child’s book baggie looks a lot different over the next few weeks!  

     Begley-Mayberry-McFarland readers are encouraged to read like crazy for the Read-a-thon next week!  In fact, students who participate and log on the Read-a-thon paperwork do NOT have to log their reading on class reading logs at all next week!

Writing Workshop

We are winding down our essay unit.  Students are working on final drafts of one of the flash-drafts they wrote independently in class, and I’ll asses those over the next week or so.  Next up is an informational unit focused on personal expertise.  This is a new unit to fourth grade!  Students have, however, quite a bit of experience with this kind of writing in earlier grades at MIW.

Math

This week we explored equations to determine whether they were true, false or incomplete. Students also learned about prime and composite numbers and how to determine if a number is a prime or composite. Since this concept is new to the majority of students we will continue to work on it. With the upcoming Thanksgiving break just around the corner I want to encourage students to continue to practice their basic facts. We often see a dip in their fact fluency after a vacation. Thanks!

Spelling

This week we learned the /oy/ sound can be spelled oy and oi.  We also reviewed the difference between nouns and verbs.  Finally, we studied some Latin roots (voc, ped, struct, and rupt) and talked about how knowing these roots can help unlock the meaning of unknown words.

Theme

This week in our Pilgrim simulation, students built houses, searched for food, and made a peace treaty with the local Native American tribe (aka Mrs. Begley).  Now she can no longer steal tools from the colonists!  Students are doing a great job writing their Pilgrim journals.  I’ve noticed that many students are pushing themselves to add more detail and create a storyline for their character.  

In homework home folders you may notice a rubric or two for some of this week’s journal entries.  Please know that this represents one of the many entries they are writing.  I am only selecting 8 from each class to read and grade each day.

Due Dates / Upcoming Events:

No homework during the short week!

Monday, November 24th - Reading logs due / swimming / Read-a-Thon starts

Tuesday, November 25th - 

November 26th-30th - Thanksgiving break

There is a packet about the GMS 4/5  Read-a-Thon, which will take place from November 24th-December 1st.  This is an annual community event for our school, and the money collected goes to support local families with groceries, clothes, and gift assistance for the holidays.  Mrs. Waterhouse has already gone through the information with the kids, but the packet should answer any additional questions.  Please encourage your child to give back by being a part of this special event.  And remember, no class log for those that participate!

Happy Thanksgiving!

McFarland-Mayberry-Begley Bulletin

for the week of November 10, 2014

If you would like to be notified whenever I post to our class blog, please click on the space to the right, “Follow by Email.”

Reading Workshop

High praise to readers rising to the occasion of increased at-home reading time!  The more we read, the stronger readers we become!

     We’re putting our reading of The Fourteenth Goldfish into high gear!  More and more children are finding signposts in their independent reading, noting and thinking about Memory Moments, Aha! Moments, and things that are mentioned Again and Again.  I’m thrilled with that growth!  Not all students are there yet (“My character doesn’t realize anything,” “There are no memories in my story.”). We’re all making progress at different paces.

Writing Workshop

Two flash-drafts are almost complete!  This week we focused on introductions and conclusions for both drafts, along with writing supporting idea paragraphs for an independent essay.  Any students who wish to have more support are sharing my thesis statement, “We should have more recess time in school.”  Next week, we’ll finish up both drafts, and students will choose one to revise and edit for a final draft before Thanksgiving (fingers crossed!).

Math

This week we spent more time understanding the difference between the term multiples and factors, as these two concepts seem to be confuse many students. We also applied multiplication to real life problem solving when we calculated distances between major cities of the world using a globe and the scale of 1” = 660 miles. I heard many students comment that this was a fun project. 

     Students are beginning to notice some real gains in their multiplication fact check-ins. This is the second week that students have been tracking their own scores using a line graph and the excitement and satisfaction of seeing their own progress is truly rewarding. Keep up the good work of practicing at home as it is paying off big here at school!

Spelling

This week we focused on when apostrophes are used in spelling - for contractions (our major focus) and for showing possession (something we just touched on and will continue to explore later).  We also had a chance to look at some “olde English” contractions in conjunction with our theme study, such as ‘twas and ‘twill.

Theme

This week we started the Pilgrim simulation.  On Monday, students formed colonies, selected a name, and created their ship’s roster.  After learning how to craft quality journal entries from the perspective of a Pilgrim, we were off on our adventure!  Thursday, students sat in 6ft X 3ft “boats” for the long journey across the sea, using their knowledge of the Mayflower to speed up their trip.  Friday, students elected leaders and created a “Mayflower Compact” of their own which outlines everyone’s responsibilities.  Next week we will build houses, plant food, and try to make a peace treaty with the local tribes.

     In take home folders you will see the practice journal entry students completed on Wednesday.  Students self graded their first attempt using the rubric, so that they would be clear about the criteria for an exceeds, meets, etc. 

Welcome, Winter!

The tarred part of the playground will be plowed.  If students wish to play in any non-plowed areas on the playground (ball field, grass, playground equipment), they must wear boots and snow pants when there is snow on the ground.  Boots, snow pants, gloves…  It’s all going into the lockers.  My recommendation is that kids bring in a hand towel to line the bottom of the locker to absorb moisture from wet boots (did someone say, “Type A”?).  Boots are not welcome in the classroom, since we do so much moving around and working on the floor during various parts of the day — and who wants to sit in a puddle?  So please make sure your child brings a pair of indoor shoes every day.  In fact, your child is welcome to leave a pair in the locker for the season.

Due Dates / Upcoming Events:

Monday, November 17th - Reading logs due / Swimming

 Tuesday, November 18th - Study link due / Box tops collected

Wednesday, November 19th - Early Release / Math box catch up

Thursday, November 20th - Spelling due 

Friday, November 21st - Study link due 

Box tops will be collected on Tuesday.  Please send in any that you have saved at home.

The GMS “Fill a Bus, Fill a Belly” Food Drive is happening all next week.  There will be a bus (with the seats removed!) parked along the MIW ballfield accepting donations at arrival & dismissal for both grade spans.  On Friday night, there is an ice cream social in the GMS Cafe to celebrate the community effort.  On Saturday morning, the bus will be driven to the Food Pantry to fill their shelves!  A flyer is in take home folders today that outlines some of the nonperishable items they are looking for.  

Have a great weekend!

Dena

McFarland-Mayberry-Begley Bulletin

for the week of November 3, 2014

If you would like to be notified whenever I post to our class blog, please click on the space to the right, “Follow by Email.”

Reading Workshop

We are continuing with identifying signposts in The Fourteenth Goldfish, and this week more and more students showed an increased confidence level with identifying those signposts in their own reading — which is the whole point, to deepen their thinking about what they read.  I’m happy to see this development!

     Please note that the reading expectation is at least 25 minutes per day (still a minimum of four different days per week).  This change should be reflected on students’ logs to be handed in on Monday.  

Writing Workshop

Writers finished their supporting idea paragraphs for the first flash-draft.  Now, we are moving on to another essay.  Kids have decided on their own thesis statements, though if they’re not yet ready to branch out on their own, any child can share my thesis statement, “Everybody should have more recess time at school.”  I’ll use this claim as the basis for the mini-lessons, and writers will be applying those concepts to their own work.  There is a great variety out there, from having pet days at school (no way!) to kids being able to use the soccer nets at recess.

Math

This week we continued to work on basic multiplication facts and explored the concepts around factors and multiples. In addition we worked on fact families for both multiplication and division. 

Please continue to work with your child on basic multiplication facts through 10. Students should be focusing on multiplication and some students still need frequent practice with subtraction facts at home. The standard is to complete 50 facts in three minutes with a score of 90% or higher. 

Spelling

This week we focused on blends again.  We also participated in a word building activity.  Finally, we learned about irregular past tense verbs.

Theme

This week students learned about Popham Colony, which existed at the same time as Jamestown.  We used a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the two colonies.  Then, we spent two days studying the voyage of the Mayflower to the New World.  After reading several books and watching a virtual tour of the Mayflower II, students are quite the experts!  Lastly, we read several books including Sarah Morton’s Day, Sam Eaton’s Day, and If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620, to learn about what life was like as a Pilgrim.

     Next week we will start the Pilgrim simulation.  In this activity (which will last about 2 weeks), students will form their own colony and be guided through several activities meant to mimic things that the Pilgrims experienced.  Students will keep journals from the perspective of a Pilgrim.  This is a favorite of students year in and year out.  I expect you’ll hear lots about it in the weeks to come.

Due Dates / Upcoming Events:

Monday, November 10th - Reading logs due / Swimming

Tuesday, November 11th - Veterans’ Day - No School

Wednesday, November 12th - Full Day

Thursday, November 13th - Spelling due 

Friday, November 14th - Study link due / Picture retakes

Due to the holiday, spelling will be assigned on Monday, which will give kids an extra night to get it done.  It will still be due on Thursday.

School Photos are in homework folders today.  Retakes are Friday, November 14th.

Have a great weekend!

Dena

McFarland-Mayberry-Begley Bulletin

for the week of October 27, 2014

If you would like to be notified whenever I post to our class blog, please click on the space to the right, “Follow by Email.”

Reading Workshop

Mrs. Fenwick’s class invited us to meet up with her sixth graders for a goldfish celebration!  Her students prepared a gift bag for each 4th grade reader containing variety of activities related to our read aloud, The Fourteenth Goldfish.  The activities ranged from thoughtful questions to sorting character traits to word searches.  And of course, we indulged in some fish-y treats.

     Please note that I’m increasing the reading expectations to at least 25 minutes per day (still a minimum of four different days per week).  

Writing Workshop

This week, we have focused on writing strong supporting idea paragraphs.  The kids have started their flash-drafts, but I might remove the “flash” part of that as we’re taking our time with this essay instead of writing it quickly, as originally planned.  We studied a “recipe” for a strong supporting idea paragraph, whose ingredients include a supporting idea sentence, convincing evidence (in the form of personal experience, relevant information, and background knowledge), and an ending sentence.  Now, we are revising the paragraphs we’ve already written to make sure we have those ingredients.  Another thing that I discovered needs attention is making sure we stay on topic throughout the whole paragraph.  Yikes!  It’s so easy to let our ideas run away from us!

Math

This week students started working on the third unit of EveryDay Math. This unit starts out with a “What’s My Rule” lesson. Most students quickly remembered doing this type of work from third grade and had a lot of good strategies to use. We also spent time this week working on creating a graph using the data collected from the Halloween survey they completed several weeks ago. I have found that most students are adept at extracting information from a graph, but struggle in knowing how to actually create one when presented with a set of data. This is something we will continue to work on periodically over the next few months.

     Please note: We are now working on learning basic multiplication facts through 10. Students should be focusing on multiplication and subtraction facts at home. The standard is to complete 50 facts in three minutes with a score of 90% or higher.  Students should add the * or x sign to their planners sheets when practicing at home.  When I run out of my supply of planner sheets and photocopy a new batch, I’ll add it in there myself.

Spelling

This week we focused on vowel patterns for long a.  We also reviewed compound words.

Theme

This week students started to learn about Jamestown.  We watched a video from the Jamestown Historical site, read several nonfiction books, and took part in an online simulation called, On the Trail with Captain John Smith.  Students have been taking notes about the poor decisions that were made, the conditions that made survival difficult, and the successes that the colony experienced.  Next week we will learn a little about the Popham Colony before moving on to learn about the Pilgrims and Plymouth.

Due Dates / Upcoming Events:

Monday, November 3rd - Reading logs due / Swimming

Tuesday, November 4th - Study link due

Wednesday, November 5th - Early Release / Book Fair Family Night - 5:30-7:30

Thursday, November 6th - Spelling due / ABL / Begley Book Fair time

Friday, November 7th - Study link due / Andrew's last day in our class!

Next week is our Fall Book Fair.  Students will have 25 minutes to visit and make purchases (if you choose) during their normal library time.  There will also be a family night on Wednesday, November 5th, from 5:30-7:30pm.  Teachers will have “wish bags” filled with books that we’d love to add to our library collections, if you’d like to donate something.

Have a Happy Halloween weekend!   

Dena

Newsletter for the Week of October 20th

McFarland-Mayberry-Begley Bulletin

for the week of October 13, 2014

If you would like to be notified whenever I post to our class blog, please click on the space to the right, “Follow by Email.”

Reading Workshop

This week we continued to read our way through a few more chapters of The Fourteenth Goldfish.  Through some lively class discussions, I am seeing thoughtful insights into the development of the two main characters.  We are continuing to find examples of Memory Moments and things mentioned Again and Again.  We also started looking at Aha! Moments, when a character realizes something or figures something out.  In this story, the author shows this subtly, and as readers we don’t even know yet what it is the character has figured out!  This is a mark of a book that is for more experienced readers.  Our fourth graders are following the plot — but had most of them been reading the book on their own, they would miss many of these signposts.  It’s hard to understand the concept that we often don’t get that we don’t get it.  Looking for these signposts will help readers understand more sophisticated books.

     One thing that has made this book much more accessible to our readers is the teaching that Mrs. Begley is doing in Theme.  Her part in our Global Read Aloud participation has been to teach about all of the scientists who are referred to in the book — and there are many!  It has been so fun to come upon the name of a scientist as we read and pause, waiting to see the wide eyes of a reader who is researching that scientist!

Writing Workshop

Writing is hard, don’t you think?  Many experts say that it is the hardest thing we ask kids to do.  This week our writers have literally groaned when I’ve told them it’s time to stop writing!  I love that.  

     We have been studying a sample essay and identifying the parts of the essay and the craft moves the author made in order to be convincing.  Also, we’ve been keeping a running list of possible essay ideas.  So, after we’ve added a few ideas to our list each day this week, the kids chose a new one about which to write.  We have chosen a few craft moves to try to work into our writing: using a convincing tone (ask your child what “bus talk” is), trying to organize reasons into their own paragraphs, and anticipating counter-arguments.  Yes, counter-arguments!  They get this!  Toward the end of the week, I showed them the criteria for a strong thesis statement (also known as a claim or a big idea), and on Friday they worked with their partners to revise some weak thesis statement so that they now meet this criteria.  

     Next week, we will pull out all the stops and write a flash-draft of an essay, which means we will write-like-crazy a whole essay across one (maybe two) writing workshop sessions.

Math

This week we spent time reviewing skills taught in unit 2 and students took the unit assessment on Thursday. Your child’s individual profile of progress for this unit will be ready by the end of next week. On Friday students got to work in their IXL account. We have two students who have completed three hours of IXL work so far this year. Congratulations! 

     Next week we will start the third unit which will have a heavy emphasis on learning basic multiplication facts through 10. You can help at home by providing lots of practice opportunities. 

Spelling

This week we focused on the /ow/ sound which can be spelled ou and ow.  Student also practiced applying suffix rules to add the suffixes -ful, -s/es, -er, -est, -ing, and -ed.

Theme

This week students finished their famous scientist project.  Rubrics for the project are in take home folders today.  As an experiment, I graded some of the projects with the students.  This was met with a lot of positive feedback.  Students appreciated having input into their grade and said that they understood their grade much better.  In the future, I plan to do this for all projects.  If students have questions about their grades, please encourage them to ask me questions.  I am a strong believer that feedback helps students become more accountable for their work and effort.  Our projects are being displayed in the glass cases outside our classrooms.  We hope you can take a look as you come in for conferences.

     We also started our new unit, “Survivor: The New World.”  We began by having a whole class conversation about why people might have left their homes for the New World and what they would need in order to survive.  We also learned about the Lost Colony of Roanoke,  analyzing the decisions made by the colonists that might have lead to the failure of the colony.  Next week we will learn about Jamestown.

Due Dates / Upcoming Events:

Monday, October 27th - Reading logs due / Swimming (please remember your gear*)

Tuesday, October 28th - Study link due

Wednesday, October 29th - Early Release  / Greely Gear orders due

Thursday, October 30th - Spelling due

Friday, October 31st - Study link due - Happy Halloween!

*For swimming, students will need  a plastic bag (for wet items), bathing suit, bathing cap (if hair is 3" or longer), and towel.  They might also want a comb for wet hair.  Students will be bused from GMS to GHS for this activity.  If you have any questions, please contact Becki Belmore, PE teacher.

Conferences start this week!  Please check your time.  We look forward to meeting with you to discuss your child’s progress.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Dena

Add-on to last week's newsletter: Math & Theme
Sorry for the omission!

Math:

This week we continued to practice subtraction using large numbers and paid special attention to subtracting over zeros. It may be hard to believe but students are begging for problems with lots of zeros! We also introduced the concept of variables in equations this week and worked on writing number models with variables when solving word problems. In addition we focused on labeling answers to story problems as well. Both of these skills are part of the Common Core Mathematics for grade 4.

As a reminder please consider using the math tutorials on my web site if your child is struggling with a particular piece of math homework. You can find the link right on the first page of my site on the top of the right hand column. The link will take students to a page where video tutorials are embedded for viewing.

My site: https://sites.google.com/a/msad51.org/sheila_mayberry/

Spelling:

This we did not start a new unit.  We will be back to our normal schedule next week.

Theme:

This week students finished researching the famous scientist they were assigned from The Fourteenth Goldfish.  Students used videos, articles, and books to gather information.  I modeled how to write a paragraph and students worked in their partnerships to craft a paragraph about their scientist’s contributions.  Now students are working on their final product - their scientist “action figure”.  

Each partnership will need to bring a printed picture of their scientist for this project.  Many have done this already.  Please check in with your child about this.

By the middle of next week we will start our unit on American colonization.

McFarland-Mayberry-Begley Bulletin

for the week of October 13, 2014

If you would like to be notified whenever I post to our class blog, please click on the space to the right, “Follow by Email.”

Reading Workshop

The biggest news in Reading Workshop this week is that we got the names of our 6th grade reading partners!  They wrote us poems to introduce themselves as readers.  Today, we did the same assignment in class, and the final drafts are to be done at home this weekend to be handed in on Monday.  Parents, please read the back of the assignment; your help will mostly be needed for editing!

Writing Workshop

Let the essay writing begin!  We read three essays written by fifth graders to get the gist of what an essay is.  We listed things we notice about essay writing, and I was impressed at what students found: purpose of an essay, the kind of language (not storytelling language), reasons and examples.  So then we used our ABL experiences to write the body paragraphs for a class essay this week.  We did this work all together and wrote “out loud” before writing in our notebooks.  Many students, especially those who have a harder time with narrative-writing, respond really well to the structure of an essay.

Technology

Our students have been learning about their SAD 51 Google accounts.  These accounts include Email and Drive (to create documents, surveys, presentations, etc.), among other options.  Our reading classes are going to use the accounts to share a document with their 6th grade reading partners, and later in the year we can use the accounts for writing projects as well.  It’s an enormous responsibility for children to have access to this kind of technology, and we need your help in teaching children about responsible digital citizenship.  

     These accounts have no email access to accounts outside the district, either incoming or outgoing.  So your child will only be able to receive and send emails to msad51.org accounts such as myself and other students.  The intent of the accounts is for school use only, so students should not be accessing their accounts at home unless it’s for a specific project.  They’re not intended to be used socially between friends.  I will communicate to you when it is expected that they’re using their accounts from home, but that will be very rare.  SAD 51 staff has access to all student accounts.

     Our technology teacher, Mrs. Poissonier, was giving these same messages to the class when I picked them up from Computer class on Thursday, and every time we use iPads in the classroom, I start by reviewing the expectations and telling the kids, literally, that I’m very strict about their usage.  Kids lose the privilege of using an iPad when it appears they aren’t doing what has been asked of them.  Given the fact that there’s often only one set of adult eyes in the classroom, I spend quite a bit of time teaching the children how to follow the LARK expectations: Legal, Appropriate, Responsible, and Kind.

     So, while your child has learned about the Google accounts, please know that we are discouraging at-home use in fourth grade unless it’s part of a school assignment.

Volunteers

I am looking for a parent volunteer to help in the library every other week, to coordinate with another parent who is scheduled on opposite weeks.  Also, I am needing a room parent.  While this sounds like a large job, typically it hasn’t been.  This person would serve as a communications liaison between the PTO and myself for planning classroom help for special activities.  In addition, I might ask this person to arrange food donations for an occasion.  If you’re interested and able, please let me know.  Thank you!

Dena

McFarland-Mayberry-Begley Bulletin

for the week of October 6, 2014

If you would like to be notified whenever I post to our class blog, please click on the space to the right, “Follow by Email.”

Reading Workshop

I have been looking forward to this week for a long time!  We started our work with The Fourteenth Goldfish, our latest mentor text and one chosen from the Global Read Aloud selections.  Mrs. Fenwick (6th grade ELA teacher) and I have been meeting and working behind the scenes to create some shared experiences with two of her classes.  The kids are LOVING the book!

     “Reading is thinking” is one of the most under-stated truths in learning.  Our kids have been developing their skills with envisioning, predicting and thinking about the characters’ feelings since they began to read.  Now that students are reading higher level texts, there are more layers to a story and to a character.  Yes, most readers can follow the plot of a story and can answer questions.  But there’s so much more to think about!  So, how does a reader know what to think about?  It’s not like are signs that the author leaves, saying, “Hey, reader!  Pay attention to this!”  Or, are there?

     Mrs. Fenwick uses a collection of signposts to teach her readers what to pay attention to and what to think about as they make their way through a book.  I borrowed some of them to teach to our readers.  The first two we practiced this week.  A “Memory Moment” is when the character stops the action of the story to share a character’s memory about an event.  When this happens, we need to stop and ask ourselves, “Why might this be important?”  And sometimes authors mention a situation, a word, or a phrase again and again and again.  This is another signpost to pay attention to.  When we read something repetitive, we need to stop and ask ourselves, “Why does this keep happening?”

     In their notebooks, readers have two copies of graphic organizers to write about each  of these signposts.  One chart is for practice with The Fourteenth Goldfish, and the other is for recording their thinking in their independent reading.

Writing Workshop

We watched each other’s iMovies in writing workshop this week, and almost everyone has completed the final draft of her/his narrative.  It was a fun project!  Friday the kids showed off their expertise (fingers crossed) with narrative writing in a school wide writing prompt.  Next week, we will start a unit on essays.  The structure we use for drafting essays is very appealing to most people, as it is formulaic and predictable.  It works well for more sophisticated writers and reluctant writers alike.  The growth of fourth graders’ essay writing will be tremendous over the course of the school year.  By the time we get to the literary essay unit in the spring, you will be surprised at the depth of thinking your child will be able to show!

Volunteers

I have started to sit down and assess the needs of the classroom for volunteer help, and I have more to do.  Thank you to all of you who have expressed interest.  I have sent a few emails for specific jobs that people indicated on the volunteer forms that they might be interested in.  I am looking for a parent volunteer to help in the library every other week, to coordinate with another parent who is scheduled on the opposite weeks.  

     And now I’m ready to schedule some weekly help here at school.  Since the priority for my time is to meet with and support all of the students, I depend on volunteers to do things that complement the work in the classroom, such as project preparation, photocopying, laminating, etc.  It will be different work each week, and the scheduled times can be very flexible — though I do need to be able to depend on people on a regular basis for this work.  If your schedule doesn't allow for this, then there will be other opportunities throughout the year that I’ll put out all-calls for.  But if your schedule does allow for regular volunteering time and you’re able to be flexible about the kind of work you’re doing, please shoot me an email and I’ll set up a schedule very soon!  Thank you!

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Please look through your inbox to find the email about signing up for parent/teacher conferences!  We understand that your weeks are as packed as ours are, and so we wanted to get this sign-up out to you early to give you a chance to make room in your schedule for one of the times we’ve designated for conferences.  We look forward to meeting with each of you!

Math

Students continued to practice addition with large numbers and we also tackled subtraction with large numbers this week. The focus algorithm is trade-first, which is very much like the traditional method learned by most adults. One thing I am still noticing is many students still need to work on basic subtraction facts. Please continue to practice basic facts through 20 at home. Here are several links and the practice time counts toward the required 3x10 minutes of weekly fact practice.

     http://www.thatquiz.org/tq-1/ (mobile device friendly)

     http://goo.gl/Qwg97L (printable fact check-ups)

     http://www.aplusmath.com/Flashcards/Subtraction.html

     This week students were also introduced to Thinking Blocks-Addition and Subtraction which is an iPad app on our school iPads. This app is great to practice solving word problems. The app progresses from two step problem solving to multi-step problems for more challenge. Students are tracking their progress in their math notebooks. 

Spelling

This week students explored several spelling patterns for the j sound.  We also learned about suffixes and the spelling rules that apply to adding suffixes.

Theme

This week we finished reviewing the material in our rock unit and took the quiz on Wednesday.  We are now participating in a mini unit connected to the Global Read Aloud, The Fourteenth Goldfish.  On Thursday we learned about the Nobel Prize and its founder, Alfred Nobel.  It’s perfect timing because the 2014 Nobel Prize winners are being announced this week.  I was excited to share the news that a teenager was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize this year - proof that kids can change the world too!

     Today, we started researching some of the famous scientists mentioned in The Fourteenth Goldfish.  After completing the research, each partnership will be making a scientist action figure box.  (That’s what the cereal boxes are for - please send more!)  

     I could use some parent volunteers next Wednesday between 9:05-9:40 for Mayberry, 9:45-10:15 for McFarland, and 1:15-1:45 for Begley.  I need the kids to wrap the cereal boxes in craft paper before adding our information.  Please send me a quick email if you can help!

Due Dates / Upcoming Events:

Monday, October 13th - Holiday

Tuesday, October 14th - Teacher Inservice

Wednesday, October 15th - Full Day / Reading logs due (Students have their current reading logs to be collected on Wednesday.  They also have their new ones for the week of Oct. 13-20 already.  I’ll be looking for the usual 4 days on both logs.)

Thursday, October 16th - ABL

Friday, October 17th - Study link due

There will be no spelling homework next week. 

Have a fabulous long weekend!

Dena

Letters About Literature: a national writing contest for young readers The program Letters About Literature is an annual reading and writing contest for students in grades 4-12.  The contest format is simple: students choose a book that matters to them and write a letter to its author about how the book has affected their lives. Afterwards, their entries are mailed to to the national LAL headquarters in Virginia for screening, and the semifinalist letters are sent back to us where they are judged by a panel of Maine educators and community leaders.  There are 3 levels for participants: level one (grades 4-6), level two (grades 7 & 8), and level three (grades 9-12). Each of these levels is judged separately.   The awards Maine's winners will receive: First Place: $100 cash Second Place: $25 gift certificate to a book store Third Place: A certificate Should a student's letter make it to the national level, a panel of national judges for the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress will select one National Winner per competition level to receive a$1,000 cash award. The judges will also select one National Honor winner per competition level to receive a $200 cash award. The benefits While writing about the text, students are put in a position where they must think critically and carefully about the text itself, about themselves, about art and about life. This task is both creative and challenging. The deadlines Entries must be postmarked by: Level three (grades 9-12): December 15, 2014 Level two (grades 7 & 8) : January 15, 2015 Level one (grades 4-6): January 15, 2015 More Information For more information on how to enter, links, and tools, visit the MHC website. The Letters About Literature program in Maine is made possible by the David Royte Foundation.

McFarland-Mayberry-Begley Bulletin

for the week of September 29, 2014

If you would like to be notified whenever I post to our class blog, please click on the space to the right, “Follow by Email.”

Reading Workshop

This week we focused on using precise, accurate words to describe characters’ traits.  We worked on using parts of a story to support our ideas, an important concept we’ll practice all year long.  Through this work, I discovered that we need a lot more experience with vocabulary — good to know!  Next week, both reading classes will begin a very special experience: we are participating the Global Read Aloud.  Check it out: http://www.globalreadaloud.com/.  Mrs. Mayberry and Mrs. Alves (our 4/5 literacy leader) wrote a grant for interested teachers to try it out, and we’ve chosen to read the book, The Fourteenth Goldfish.  This will be the mentor text for our character unit.  Our classes are going to partner with two of Mrs. Fenwick’s seventh grade classes right here at GMS!  We’ll experiment with technology to share the experience with them.  Fun!

Writing Workshop

It’s a pretty big deal when your story becomes a movie.  OK, so our iMovies are very basic, but still…  The kids have done a nice job helping each other out, trying Plan B when Technology Plan A doesn’t work out — the usual experience with 23 kids on iPads!  Next week, we’ll share our iMovies in class.  And then we’ll do a narrative writing prompt, where I’m hoping everyone will show off all they’ve learned about narrative writing these past weeks!

Math

Students continued their work with reading and writing large numbers this week. We also did several activities where we collected data and discovered the statistical landmarks for each data set (minimum, maximum, range, mode and median).  On Thursday we reviewed two algorithms for adding large numbers. Students need to be proficient with either partial sums or the traditional method of addition. I stressed with children that they need to use the algorithm that works best for them and gives them successful answers. In class I will continue to demonstrate both methods in our daily lessons.

Spelling

This week students explored several spelling patterns for the /s/ sound.  We also learned about prefixes and learned the meaning of the prefixes pre-, un-, non-, and re-.  This is the beginning of some extensive work we’ll do this year with prefixes, helping students to understand how this changes the meaning of words and how prefix knowledge can help unlock the meaning of unknown words.

Theme

This week we had the pleasure of a visit from Rich Campbell, geologist.  He brought some cool samples and answered a lot of our geology questions.  Students also completed their final rock project.  Each child had to apply the skills learned during the unit (such as observation, measurement, research) to produce a book about their rock.  

Friday I gave each child a study guide for the upcoming geology quiz. I have also embedded the study guide on my web page in case you need an extra.  Not all students finished their cards in class and may need to finish a couple at home; please check in with your child.  I also worked with each class on study strategies.  We will review next Monday and Tuesday before taking the quiz on Wednesday, 10/8.

Finally, Mrs. Begley is looking for cereal boxes for an upcoming project next week (still intact, not broken down).  If you have some at home, please send them our way!  

Due Dates / Upcoming Events:

Monday, October 6th - Reading logs due / Sneakers for P.E.

Tuesday, October 7th - Study link due 

Wednesday, October 8th - Math journal catch-up / Early Release / Geology quiz

Thursday, October 9th - Spelling due / STAR testing (math)

Friday, October 10th - Study link due 

Monday, October 13th and Tuesday, October 14th - Holiday / In Service

Students will take the STAR tests for math during their technology class.   This test gives teachers and administrators baseline information about children’s math skills in the fall and spring to track growth over time.  

Hope you’re enjoying the weekend!

Dena

McFarland-Mayberry-Begley Bulletin

for the week of September 22, 2014

If you would like to be notified whenever I post to our class blog, please click on the space to the right, “Follow by Email.”

Adventure-Based Learning

Thursday we had our first session of ABL with Mrs. Murray, and it went really well!  It began with an introduction of the High Five of Respect, a guideline of expectations for all students: I will take care of myself, I will show compassion, I will tell the truth, I will take responsibility, and I will include others.  The kids were engaged in several partner games, including one where two partners had to tie a shoe using only one hand each.  Mrs. Murray does a great job helping students reflect upon and process what they did well, what worked, and what changes they had to make in order to be successful.  Toward the end of the session, students worked in their focus groups (a group of 5 or 6 kids from our class, not to be confused with intervention groups at MIW) to try to keep a balloon ball aloft by using two-finger touches only.   Again, students used a protocol for evaluating their process and made plans to make adjustments to increase the number of touches.  We had some discussion in the classroom afterwards, and I talked a bit about how one goal of the challenges is to get students to a point of (mild) frustration — and then giving them a protocol and support for how to work through it.  Talk about a life skill!

Reading Workshop

In Reading Workshop this week, students worked on the concept of envisioning.  They added details to illustrations of scenes from Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, a book all three classes have heard read aloud.  At the beginning of the week, the kids took a survey using their collected reading logs from the past three weeks.  The survey is a Google form, and we used iPads to complete the survey.  The survey is still live on my web page (you can get there through the msad51 web site) if you’d like to take a look.  Next week, I’ll share the results with the kids, and we’ll set goals for at-home reading.

Writing Workshop

We’ve made enormous progress on narratives this week!  The kids worked on creating powerful, sophisticated leads by studying the lead in Jane Yolen’s book, Owl Moon.  That lead gives a ton of information in one sentence, using a number of setting details, showing who is in the scene, and using action.  So students practiced with the narrative I’m writing.  We listed setting details, characters, and actions that would be at the very beginning of my story and then chose ones to use in the lead sentence.  We built a long sentence, modeling it after the lead in Owl Moon.  After practicing with my story, students then went back to their seats with the confidence of having had a crack at it already, and wrote leads for their own stories.  Also, we worked on endings, where the goals are to show the message of the story, to show how the character changed, and/or to show that the character will be OK.  We work all this magic by using an action and/or TFR (thoughts, feelings, and reactions).  Next week: editing and illustrating!

Math

This week students reviewed their Unit 1 assessments. Please look for the assessment packet in your child’s planner. They also took a pre-assessment for unit 2 which will help me plan for the unit and which skills need more emphasis. This next unit covers numeracy - reading, writing and understanding numbers up through 1,000,000; solving multi-digit addition and subtraction problems; examining and interpreting data. We jumped in with numeracy this week and I must say most students have a pretty strong sense of place value.   

Spelling

This week students explored several spelling patterns for long e.  We learned about different blends and how they change the sounds of words.   Finally, we looked at homophones - words that are spelled differently but sound the same.  After discussing the infamous there/their/they’re, students illustrated the different meanings in their notebooks and we read a homophone book, How Much Can a Bare Bear Bear?.

Theme

This week we learned all about fossils.  Students read an article in the National Geographic Explorer and watched a Brainpop video to build prior knowledge.  We also buried gummy bears in layers of “rock” (bread) to see the fossilization process itself.  So far we’ve had one donation of air dry clay, so some of the classes have made a trace fossil, but we are waiting for one more bucket to be donated so that all can partake in this activity.  

Also, students will need to find a rock to bring in to class next week, no bigger than their fist, for our final project.  Finally, we will have a visiting geologist next Wednesday.

STAR Testing

Starting next week, all classes will take the STAR tests for reading during their technology class.   This test gives teachers and administrators baseline information about children in the fall and spring to track growth over time.

Our Own 4th Grade Classmate Devin, a Guest Author at Prince Memorial Library!
Wednesday, Oct. 1 @ 6:00 – 7:30 pm, Maine Student Book Award Author Talk, Megan Frazer Blakemore, Grades 4 and up, special guest author, Devin, Greely Middle School 4th Grader, books for sale, refreshments.

Due Dates / Upcoming Events

Monday, September 29th - Reading logs due / Sneakers for P.E.

Tuesday, September 30th - Study link due 

Wednesday, October 1st - Math journal catch-up / Early Release

Thursday, October 2nd - Spelling due / STAR testing (reading)

Friday, October 23rd - Study link due 

Enjoy the last few drops of summer this weekend!

Dena

Recommended Books

Looking for a new book to read?  Check out the variety of books recommended by Begley and McFarland readers!  We mined our reading logs this week and everyone made a recommendation.

McFarland-Mayberry-Begley Bulletin

for the week of September 15th

If you would like to be notified whenever I post to our class blog, please click on the space to the right, “Follow by Email.”

Adventure-Based Learning

Next Thursday, our fourth-graders will participate in our first Adventure-Based Learning session with ABL teacher Donna Murray.  This is a creative, hands-on program that focuses on each child’s role in a group; cooperation; working through challenges; and persevering.  It’s an important part of our fourth grade year.  We are grateful to PTO and Foundation 51, who have funded this program in the past, and this year our district has taken over the funding as part of our curriculum.  Every fourth-grader will participate with her/his class and several other classes about once a month for about an hour-and-a-half’s time.  Each session builds upon the previous one, with students working through challenges as a group.  They follow a protocol to brainstorm ideas, try them out, evaluate their ideas, and then make adjustments to improve.  It’s loud and active and fun!  And there’s a lot of learning going on.  

Reading Workshop

In Reading Workshop this week, students drew and wrote about their favorite environments in which to read.  I have also been reading with students one-on-one, getting to know them as readers and as kids!  We have reviewed reading logs and are continuing to refine the work on those to meet fourth grade expectations.  Next week, we’ll use completed logs to reflect on our reading habits and share book recommendations.

Writing Workshop

We’ve used two books as mentor texts for small moment narrative writing, Salt Hands and Dad and Me in the Morning.  We are using timelines to plan our own narratives, with a special focus on the heart of the story.  Students also determined a message for their stories, writing out specifically what they’re trying to show as writers — and making sure the details from the heart of the story match the message.  Then, as they planned the stories, they color-coded the kinds of details they’re using, trying for a balance of setting details, small actions, and TFR (thoughts, feeling, and reactions).  Today, we started writing these narratives by actually writing the heart of the story first, giving it the most energy and attention.  When we go to write what happened “just before” and “just after,” the kids will see that they otherwise would most likely have started their stories much too early and carried it on too far.  This is big learning!

Math

Students continued to learn about new geometry concepts this week, specifically around right triangles, equilateral triangles, and acute or obtuse triangles. In addition we reviewed for the assessment that all students took on Thursday. I will be sending home a progress profile packet showing your child’s progress by the end of next week. Our next unit moves us away from geometry and centers the focus around numeracy, problem solving and multi-digit addition and subtraction.

Please note that students who needed to catch up on their math journal pages did start bringing them home on Wednesday this week. Most children had ample time in class to complete the pages, yahoo! This independent responsibility for keeping up with work may be new to some students and may take time to adjust to. While Wednesday is the ‘official’ catch-up day, any child is welcome to take their math journal home on other days should they be feeling like they need additional time to work. Another opportunity during the day where students can put in a little extra journal work time is at morning snack. One of us always has a quiet snack room for students to catch up or complete missing work. 

Keep practicing those addition and subtraction facts, with more emphasis on subtraction. Thanks!

Spelling

This week students explored several spelling patterns for long i and also for the /k/ sound.  We also looked at homographs, words that are spelled the same way but have different meanings (and sometimes different pronunciations).  After discussing several words, students selected a homograph and illustrated the two different meanings in their notebooks.

Spelling homework looked better this week.  Please make sure when brainstorming words, that your child is not using proper nouns (like a person’s name).  Also, please double check to make sure they are using real words (I received some doozies on the rhyming section) that can be found in a dictionary.  Thank you for your continued support at home.

Theme

This week “rocked”!  We learned about the three different types of rocks: sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic.  Students participated in various activities where they built rocks and changed them to different rocks (through heat and pressure or melting).  We also finally looked at our halite crystals and eggshell geodes!  Ask your child what we were able to grow! Also, as you look at the labs I've graded, please keep in mind I'm expecting students to use scientific evidence to support their answers; the students are not completely there yet, so I will continue to give feedback to help them improve their work.

Next week we will be learning about fossils!  If anyone is able to donate a bucket or two of air dry clay, please let me know.  I need one bucket for each class.  We will be trying to make our own mold fossils.  Thanks!

Additional activities to try at home:

•Starburst Rock Cycle

•Crayon Rock Cycle

Extra Curricular Activities

Now that school is underway, many extra curricular activities have begun or will begin soon.  Chorus meets on Tuesdays in the morning from 7:30am-8:15am in the music room.  Color Guard will begin on Thursday, October 9th.  The 4th and 5th grade group will practice in the gym from 3-4pm, with a late bus available at 4.  Newspaper and Civil Rights Team will be starting up shortly; we will pass along information as it becomes available.

Due Dates / Upcoming Events

Monday, September 22nd - Reading logs due / Close Buy orders due

Tuesday, September 23rd - Study link due 

Wednesday, September 24th - Math journal catch-up / Early Release

Thursday, September 25th - ABL / Spelling due

Friday, September 26th - Study link due

Have a lovely weekend!

Dena