McFarland-Mayberry-Begley Bulletin

for the week of December 14th

Due Dates / Upcoming Events:

Monday, December 21st- Reading logs due / 4th Grade Holiday Swap

Tuesday, December 22nd - Celebration of Reading Day

On Tuesday, December 22nd, our team will hold the Annual Celebration of Reading Day.  Students are encouraged to wear pjs or comfy clothes and bring a pillow, blanket, and favorite books for a cozy day of reading.  That includes activity books, Mad Libs, picture books, magazines, etc.  Students will also have access to classroom libraries as well.  WE also have some snacks planned.  If you signed up to send food or supplies for our reading day, please drop them off or send them in with your child on Tuesday morning.  We will have snacks around 9:30.  We told the kids that any items s/he brings (pillows, sleeping bag, etc), will need to go home with them that day, so please plan accordingly.  We will defer to parents on all the, “Can I bring this?  Can I bring that?” questions.

Academic Updates:

Reading

We focused on main idea this week, using a pieces about Amelia Earhart and panda bears to match supporting details with main ideas.  We also studied the lyrics to The Grinch song to identify the topic and the main idea (what the author wants us the learn about the topic), and to practice highlighting text evidence, circling key words, and underlining important details.

    As the 4th grade literacy mentor, I went to a children’s literature workshop on Thursday, presented by Judy Freeman, a former children’s librarian who reads over 300 of the newest books per year!  She also served on the Board of the Caldecott Award a few years ago!  She gives a dynamic performance, to say the least (she sings, she leads us in readers theater, she demonstrates with character-related puppets...much of which is out of my comfort zone, let’s just say).  She compiles her favorite books of the year and creates a handbook of those titles, complete with summaries, curriculum ideas, similar books, related titles, etc.   Then, Rebecca Gervais (the 5th grade lit mentor) and I met afterward to plan a Wednesday afternoon afternoon professional development session for January to introduce lots of the new books to our staff.  We will purchase some of the titles for classrooms, our Book Nook, and special ed programs.  It’s a highly motivating day, and teachers are already asking about what we learned!

    From Monday, December 21 through Monday, January 4, students need to read and log a minimum of eight times.  Logs are due Monday, January 4th.

Writing

We got a lot accomplished this week in our informational texts: writing the introduction paragraph using a surprising fact and/or telling why the topics matters; drawing and labeling a diagram; making a chart of pros and cons; and creating a way to compare and contrast our topic with another.  The kids chose to use Venn diagrams, T-charts, and/or sentences and paragraphs.  Please be on the lookout for an orange research sheet that may come home from time to time.  This sheet is for students to keep track of questions they have about their topics that they need to research at home.  This is self-assigned work, and students will use it as needed.  The research will most likely need some adult supervision if it’s internet-related.

Math

This week students started to work with decimals to the tenths and hundredths place. They used base-10 blocks and learned to read and write decimal and fraction equivalents. In addition, they played a game that helped to cement these concepts. At home you can support your child by showing them how you use decimals in daily life and giving them opportunities to read decimals in the real world.

Spelling

This week students participated in a word building activity.  We also reviewed patterns for the /k/ sound (c, k, ck, ch, and qu) and learned four more prefixes (anti, non, dis, and sub).

Theme

This week it was all about waves!  After building some background knowledge, students observed slinky waves to notice patterns.  We dropped objects into buckets of water to learn what happens when you disturb the surface and we studied the difference between how objects move in deep water vs. shallow water.  We also did a little Christmas chemistry - ask your child about it!

    Students also shared their projects with their classmates and completed a reflection about their work.  A paper copy of each child’s keynote is stapled to the rubric.  Students worked diligently on this project and I was quite impressed with the results.  Everyone got a M or M+ on the requirements and everyone got an M, M+, or E on their writing & research.  We went over the rubric as a class at the beginning of the project and midway through.  Groups also printed a paper copy and received direct feedback from me both in writing and grammar/mechanics.

Have a wonderful vacation with friends and families!  See you in the New Year!
Dena

McFarland-Mayberry-Begley Bulletin

for the week of December 7th

Due Dates / Upcoming Events:

Monday, December 14th- Reading logs due / Planner sheets due

Tuesday, December 15th - Home Link due / Box Tops due!

Wednesday, December 16th - Math Box Catch-Up night

Thursday, December 17th - Spelling Due! / ABL

Friday, December 18th - Home Link due / Recorder forms due

In take home folders, you’ll find a notice from Mr. Saunders, our music teacher.  After vacation, the children will be learning the recorder.  Students may already own a recorder, or you may purchase one, or you may borrow one for the year.  Everyone -- even if you already own a recorder -- is expected to please mark your choice and return that green form by next Friday.  If you are purchasing a recorder, also send $5 (cash or check payable to GMS).

On Tuesday, December 22nd, our team will hold its annual Celebration of Reading Day.  Students are encouraged to wear pjs or comfy clothes and bring a pillow, blanket, and favorite books/magazines/activity books, etc., for a cozy day of reading.  Any items your child brings (pillows, sleeping bag, etc) will need to go home with them that day, so please plan accordingly.  

Academic Updates:

Reading Workshop

This week, we have established some norms for our work in our new nonfiction unit.  Students will stick to nonfiction during reading workshop time, and can choose whether to read nonfiction at home.  We also have had a very successful text features quiz!  The vast majority of both classes achieved 100% correct!  With that behind us, we will get to work with other concepts to increase comprehension with nonfiction text, the most important of which is identifying the main idea and supporting details.  This is very difficult thinking, because it demands the ability to step back and look at the “big picture” of a text and ask, “What does the author really want me to understand?”  And then: “What details support that idea?” These learners are whole-to-part learners.  ORRRRRRR, some readers need to consider the details first and use those to determine that big idea. Those learners are part-to-whole learners.  So, I’ll teach it both ways.

    We’ll connect it to the boxes and bullets format we’ve used in the essay unit.  We’ll use a variety of texts: National Geographic for Kids magazine articles, leveled texts from the reading program, nonfiction texts in our classroom, short video clips, and maybe even throw in some other “fun” stuff.  And after vacation, we’ll start a big research project to combine all these strategies!

  Due to a big book order, we are lucky enough to have a bunch of new books in our library!  Thank you!  We got our hands and eyes on them today, and inhaled the unmistakable scent: New Book Smell.  Aaaaah!

Writing Workshop

To begin our Informational Writing: Personal Expertise unit, we have studied carefully one informational text and have identified text features writers use to organize their writing.  And it’s pretty helpful that they’re learning about those as readers, too!  We are also going to get to know a couple of high quality informational books to use as mentor texts, so we can study the writing moves of authors in order to strengthen our own pieces.  

    So far, students have made webs about topics they are experts on, and they are categorizing information into subtopics.  We have also studied the Informational Writing Checklist from the writing program, and we are using that to decide different ways to write information: compare/contract, pros/cons, and cause/effect (ask your child the example of cause/effect we used in class...Say, “Boo!” to jog her/his memory).

    I’m still trying to decide on the format of the final projects; I’m leaning toward books as opposed to posters so kids can use tables of contents and chapters effectively, but the jury is still out.

 

Math

Developing strategies to find equivalent fractions dominated our math lessons this week. Students also started to do work around comparing fractions to determine whether a pair of fractions is greater than, less than or equal. At home you can help make our fraction work have deeper meaning by sharing ways you use fractions in the real world and giving your child an opportunity to use them as well. Holiday baking is a great time to work with fractions!

Spelling

This week students participated in another word building activity and looked at the soft syllable endings of er, or, and ar.

Theme

This week students finished their culminating project for the Colonization unit.  Each group printed a draft of their presentation and one feedback session with me to go over any missing/incorrect information and to fix spelling, capitals, and spelling.  It was then up to them to make the changes.  I am working on grading the projects right now.

    Next week we will do our second STEM scope.  STEM scopes is a science curriculum with an emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and math.  I piloted the program last year and now we are bringing it to the whole 4-5 staff.  Students completed their first scope within the rocks and minerals unit.  The scope we’ll do before vacation involves learning about waves.

Team Update for the Week of November 30th

McFarland-Mayberry-Begley Bulletin

for the week of November 30

Due Dates / Upcoming Events:

Monday, December 7th- Reading logs due

Tuesday, December 8th - Home Link due

Wednesday, December 9th - Math Box Catch Up Night

Thursday, December 10th - Spelling Due / Text Features Quiz for Reading Workshop

Friday, December 11th - Home Link due

Winter Gear

It’s not here yet, but it’s coming, right?  On most days it’s cold outside.  I’m requiring students to wear pants outside at recess.  If your child wants to wear shorts while indoors, please make sure s/he wears pants over them.  I’m also requiring a jacket outdoors.  Please make sure your child comes to school prepared to go outside in the winter weather.

    Also, it’s almost time for boots.  Because boots will be wet after kids are outside, I suggest having your child bring in a hand towel to keep in the bottom of her/his locker to absorb melting snow.  It works like a charm!  In addition, your child should have indoor shoes every day, which can include slippers -- I don’t care what it is as long as it has a hard sole in case we need to evacuate for a fire alarm or such.  It has happened before where we’ve been outside in the snow unexpectedly, so use that idea as a guideline as to what to have your child wear.  Good times…

Class Directory

Many thanks to Kathy Sligh who typed up your child’s contact information early in the year!  I have been remiss in getting a copy of the class directory to you until now!  Sorry!  Your child has a hard copy is in the homework folder.  If there are glaring errors that must be fixed, let me know.

Reading Workshop

This week, we focused on learning about nonfiction text features.  We have colorful posters in the classroom thanks to fellow 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Duncan.  The kids also have a definition list in their reading notebooks to refer to as needed.  Annnnnd, we will have a quiz on some of the text features mid-week next week!  I’ll have the kids write flashcards for studying at home.  Some of the flashcards work will probably become homework on Monday.

Writing Workshop

On Wednesday, our writers showed what they know about writing an informational text on a topic about which they are experts: school!  The goals of the assignment include having students call upon things they already know about writing informational texts; helping me to decide what I need to teach them during the unit; and using this early piece to compare and contrast it with our end-of-unit piece to see our growth!

Math

This week students were introduced to unit 3. This is a unit heavily focused on fractions and decimals. We spent time this week learning how to represent fractions in different ways using drawings. We also started to explore equivalent fractions with fraction circles and students created a poster of fraction equivalents based on number line models.

    Already in this unit students are finding that knowing their multiplication facts and being able to identify multiples of a number are going to be helpful skills in our fraction work. Keep practicing those facts and it will pay off in a big way!

Spelling

This week students learned patterns for the /oy/ sound (oi and oy).  We looked are two r-controlled patterns, ore and or.  Finally, we studied some Latin roots (voc, tract, flex) to learn how their meanings can unlock the definitions of unknown words.

Theme

This week students began working on the culminating project for the Colonization unit.  Students have been drafting paragraphs about different items to consider for survival, giving evidence from the colonies studied.  Students were given examples and a rubric from the start of the project so they know the criteria for grading.  I have also been reading over 60 drafts every night, providing feedback to students.

    Next week they will be creating a Keynote presentation, giving their top 5 tips for surviving in the New World.  Our goal is to be finished by Friday, December 11th.

Adventure-Based Learning

In A.B.L. this week, our students went to the moon!  They worked in their focus groups to determine what items would be needed on this trip.  They put in order of priority provisions like water, oxygen (imagine having to choose…), dehydrated food, blankets, flares…  In a second activity where they needed to help each group member through a portal (hula hoop) to return to Earth, students practiced using a talking piece, while using our ABCDE process of problem-solving:

Ask questions

Brainstorm ideas

Choose an idea

Do it

Evaluate

    The photo below shows our opening circle.  Mrs. Murray is on the left in the pink shirt, leading a game of “Gotcha!” where students have to grab the thumb of a classmate while simultaneously avoiding their own thumb getting grabbed by the classmate on the other side.  Have your child show this game to the family -- all you need is three people.