McFarland-Mayberry-Begley Bulletin

for the week of Sept. 14-18

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Reading Workshop

This week, I am continuing to read with students to listen to what they use for reading strategies.  I’ve been giving them feedback on what I notice.  I’m also asking about reading over the summer to gauge whether there might have been some reading level “slippage” since third grade.  We are also enjoying an old favorite read aloud, Marvin Redpost: Why Pick on Me?  I’ll use this short chapter book to model and review ways to think about the author’s craft moves, what kinds of things we think about as we read, and how to stay accountable to the text (support an idea with details from the story).  I chose this story also to show kids that higher level thinking can and should be done with books that might be a lower reading level (it’s an L).  Sometimes fourth grade readers think they have to be reading very high-level books -- and they miss out on some of the greats!

Writing Workshop

In writing workshop this week, we have been starting to draft small moment stories in our notebooks.  We used a timeline to plan out the story, and I showed the kids how to revise their timelines in order to make their stories more focused.  There was a very dramatic revision move that I demonstrated; you’ll want to ask your child about that.  The kids have also been working with their writing partners, and I’ve listened in on some really productive meetings, where partners are finding meaningful places in a story to make a suggestion -- and some of the writers are actually taking the advice!  That’s a big deal!

Math

This week we started in with the first lessons in the Everyday Math program. Students have been revisiting and extending their understanding of place value in numbers up to the hundred-thousands place, rounding numbers up through the hundred-thousands place and working with data involving large numbers on charts.

    Please note that I now have a link for homework tutorials on my web page. These tutorials are meant to provide support for your child when they are having difficulty at home. I hope they are helpful.

Spelling

This week students started the first unit of the program.  Two of the skills focused on in this unit include vowel types (long/short) and silent letters.  On Wednesday students completed Unit 1’s homework with me in class.  Most were able to finish, though a few did not because our class periods are shorter on Wednesdays.  They understand what I’m looking for in regards to quality and I’m hoping that things will go smoothly next week when it is sent home on Tuesday.

Theme

Students started learning about rocks and minerals this week.  On Monday we completed an investigation called, “Rock, Not a Rock” to help students discover the characteristics of rocks and how to use scientific details to support their ideas.  We went on a rock walk and pick out a rock for further study.  On Friday, students learned how to make careful scientific observations and drawings.

    Thursday was Constitution Day.  By law we were required to teach a lesson about the U.S. Constitution.  I read David Catrow’s We The Kids to each class, which puts the Preamble into kid-friendly language.  We watched the SchoolHouse Rock video on the Preamble, and completed Constitution word searches.

Due Dates / Upcoming Events:

Monday, September 21st - Reading logs due

Tuesday, September 22nd - Home link due

Wednesday, September 23rd

Thursday, September 24th - Spelling due

Friday, September 25th - Home link due

THE GREELY GAZETTE NEWSPAPER CLUB -  Those students who are interested in joining the Greely Gazette newspaper staff this  year should attend the informational meeting in the GMS library on Tuesday, September 22nd  from 3-4 pm. This year the focus of our meetings will be on: how to choose and research an event or topic for The Greely Gazette, how to conduct an interview, how to construct and edit an article for publication, and how to put The Greely Gazette  together for final publication. While comics may be submitted to The Gazette for consideration, the actual writing comics will no longer be part of The Gazette's weekly meetings. Students may take the late bus home, or have their parents pick them up in the GMS lobby at 4 pm. For more information, see Mrs. Sprague

The Greely Color Guard will begin on Thursday, October 1st.  The first practice will run from 3-4pm in the GMS gym.  Interested students should have brought home a flyer this week.  You can find more information at the club’s website, https://sites.google.com/a/msad51.org/hedman/NYMS/color-guard.  If you’re not sure what color guard is, please follow this link to last year’s performance.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UJO5-fjtyE

Thank you to those who were able to make it to the fourth grade open house on Tuesday!  If you were unable to make it, I have included a parent handbook in your child’s take home folder.  You can also access a digital copy of the handbook on the blog.  Mrs. Mayberry has made our presentation available online: https://goo.gl/hwHuaP