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.