McFarland-Mayberry-Begley Bulletin

for the week of January 12, 2015

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

Don’t tell Mrs. Begley, but I’ve been sneaking a little science into reading workshop this week!  I have an enormous collection of nonfiction books about animals, and the kids have been setting themselves up for what categories of information they can expect to encounter when reading a factual book about animals.  We’ve talked about adaptations, life cycle, food webs, etc.  Soon, we’ll be diving into a research project where they’ll research an animal from a number of sources, and they’ll need to synthesize and categorize what they read.

Writing Workshop

This week, students asked for mini-lessons about how to write introductions and conclusions for their informational projects.  I also offered an optional mini-lesson about how to use quotes in their projects.  Many students opted in for a chance to exceed the expectations for this part of the project; you may have seen the summary sheet titled, “How to Use a Quote,” in your child’s homework folder if s/he wanted to pursued that at home.  I think the highlight of the week, though, was having editing help from middle school students on Thursday (for the Mayberrys) and Friday (for the McFarlands).  We are lucky to have willing and able (and cool) writers right down the hall to partner up with us and nail some spelling errors!

     Next week, we will begin final drafts of our writing.  Each child will create a poster to display the writing.  By next Friday, January 23rd, please have your child bring to school a regular piece of poster board: http://www.staples.com/Staples-White-Poster-Boards-10-Pack-22-x-28-/product_247403.  The typical size is about 22”x28.”  The color does not matter to me.  Have your child keep both sides clean, just in case we need to use the back!  The one I brought in to use for demos is probably considered foam core, because I will be standing it up to show them how to do some lettering, etc., but they don’t need foam core.  Have your child write her/his name neatly in small letters in the bottom corner before bringing it to school.

Math:

This week we kicked off unit 5 in math. This unit has a heavy emphasis on learning to multiply larger numbers. The goal is for students to become proficient with solving problems such as; 76 x 59  and 873 x 8. As you can well imagine, being fluent with basic multiplication facts will play an important role in this unit. 

     Our first step this week was to work on extended multiplication facts (like 30 x 80, 

700 x 600, etc…). On Thursday and Friday students learned to play Multiplication Wrestling which is a pivotal step in learning to do partial products. I will post a video tutorial for partial products on my web page so students and parents can access the steps to support homework in the coming weeks. 

Spelling:

This week we learned patterns for the /oo/ sound - oo, u-consonant-e, ue, and ew.  We also reviewed some common homophone pairs, which are starting to show up more regularly on tests.

Theme:

This was a fun-filled week in science!  We used pan balances to determine how the force needed to separate two magnets changes as the distance between the magnets increases.  We graphed our results and practiced writing conclusions about our findings.  We also built electromagnets and searched for hidden magnets inside of sealed boxes.  And of course, we learned about temporary magnets and how to create one by induction.  The one I sent you a photo of held on for 24 hours!  Next week we will start learning about electricity!

Due Dates / Upcoming Events:

Monday, January 19th - No School 

Tuesday, January 20th - Read logs due

Wednesday, January 21st - Full day  / Sneakers for P.E.

Thursday, January 22nd - Spelling due 

Friday, January 23rd - Study link due / Poster board due for writing workshop

**Report cards will be sent home Friday, January 30th**

Hope you had a great long weekend!

Dena

McFarland-Mayberry-Begley Bulletin

for the week of January 5, 2015

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Reading Workshop

This week, our focus has been to build experience with nonfiction by reading only nonfiction texts in reading workshop class.  We’ll continue this for the next few weeks.  Students are welcome to continue this nonfiction immersion at home, but they may also read fiction at home.  We’ve expanded our classroom NF library collection, and students got excited to see a wide variety of titles while they sorted the new texts by type: narrative NF, expository, and biographies.  We talked about the fact that not every book is “just one kind.”  Your child should be able to identify what type of NF a book is.  See what’s in the book baggie over the weekend and ask!

Writing Workshop

If you’ve asked your child what s/he is working on in writing workshop this week, you may have heard some sophisticated words: independent clauses and conjunctions.  We are working very hard to identify and fix run-on sentences by using a conjunction and a comma to separate two independent clauses.  We are also trying to limit our sentences to no more than two independent clauses.  This is pretty technical work.  We started with direct instruction, focusing on only one sentence at a time.  Your child should have brought home a MUG Shot Sentence Organizer this week (MUG = Mechanics, Usage, Grammar) that shows some of this practice.  Then, I had students read some fourth-grade-like writing that needed this kind of help.  They talked with partners about some ways to revise the work, using their new knowledge of independent clause, conjunctions, and commas.  Today, kids revised their own writing.  Lots of run-on sentences were saved with the use of the comma-conjunction duo!  And there’s a new rule around here: You can’t use a comma unless you know the reason it belongs in the sentence.  This is to avoid a serious condition many young writers suffer from: Comma Crazy.  It is treatable with extra doses of grammar instruction and lots of old-fashioned practice.  Its symptoms are similar to Apostrophe Fever.  Don’t get me started on that…

Math

This week students jumped back into our decimal unit with review of skills covered prior to the break. On Friday they took the end of unit assessment. Progress profiles will be sent home by the end of next week. Our next unit in math involves multiplication of larger numbers. Being fluent with multiplication facts will play a major role in being able to successfully navigate this unit. Please continue to check in on your child’s multiplication fluency as we move forward. 

Spelling

This week we reviewed the patterns for the /ow/ sound - ou and ow.  We also looked at “roughie toughies,” the exceptions to the rule where the ou pattern doesn’t say /ow/.

Theme

In science we jumped right into our Magnets and Electricity unit.  I am using a combination of Talk Science probes and the Foss kits to engage the kids in activities to build knowledge about magnets and magnetism.  We’ve learned that magnets can attract or repel one another without touching.  We tested objects around the room and discovered that only items with iron, steel, cobalt, and nickel are attracted to magnets.  We crushed up Total cereal and used a magnet to extract some of the iron found in our food.  Finally, we hypothesized whether or not magnetic force could pass through objects that are not magnetic.

     With a lot of the Talk Science probes it gives the kids an investigation or question to answer, but leaves the experiment design up to them.  It’s been fun to watch them tackle the problem in different ways and think of more “what if” questions.  We are, however, working on how to use scientific evidence to support our hypotheses.  I’m trying to help them move from, “I just think that’s why it’ll happen,” to “I know from experiments earlier this week that two magnets can stick when something nonmagnetic, like paper, is in the middle.”

     Here is a Youtube link to one experiment we did this week:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRK15XSqtAw&index=9&list=PLayKagtOn2GJqjidYMQJBN-6rearQ0G_v

Due Dates / Upcoming Events:

Monday, January 12th - Reading logs due / Sneakers for P.E.

Tuesday, January 13th - Study link due

Wednesday, January 14th - Early Release

Thursday, January 15th - Spelling due / ABL

Friday, January 16th - Recorder notices due

**Report cards will be sent home Friday, January 30th** 

Earlier this week your child brought him a notice about recorders from Mr. Saunders, the music teacher.  Every child must have a recorder for music class, and every child must return the form to show what her/his recorder plan is.  On the form there is a spot to mark whether need to buy one or if you already own one.  If you are purchasing a recorder, please send a check payable to GMS for $5.  You can send cash, but please be aware that we cannot make change.  Money is due next Friday.

Have a great weekend!

Dena

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