Friday, September 28, 2018

Classroom News for the Week of October 1

News and Upcoming Events: 
  • Orchestra is every Monday. If you have already been assigned an instrument, make sure to bring it every Monday.
  • Picture Day is coming. Order forms went home with students last Wednesday. Please return your envelope a.s.a.p. if you are planning to buy pictures.
  • 10/18 Field trip to Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Gardens. All chaperone positions have been filled.
What's Going On This Week In Class:

Math: 
This week we will be wrapping up the place value, rounding, addition, and subtraction unit. This week's work will review the above skills as well as multi-step word problems, tape diagrams, and estimation to determine reasonableness. Students will have an end of unit assessment on Thursday. Our next unit will be on metric measurement.

Accelerated Math (Individualized practice)

Reading:
This week students will begin reading Scott O'Dell's Newbery-Award winning book, Island of the Blue Dolphins. This work of historical fiction ties in with our current social studies unit on the geography and native people of California. We will be using Depth and Complexity icons to help us dig deeper into the text.

Genre Blackout: Students are challenged to read books from 9 different genres in the first reporting period. Ask your child about his or her progress.

Spelling & Vocabulary:
This week's prefixes are mono, uni (one); bi, du (two); co, col (with together) 
Our words are:
  1. condense
  2. companion
  3. confer
  4. collide
  5. conspire
  6. monopoly
  7. unicorn
  8. unify
  9. dual
  10. bisect
Tip: Spend 10 minutes verbally studying the words each day. Research suggests that studying for small periods regularly is more effective than cramming. In addition to having your child spell the word aloud, ask your child to use the word in an imaginative sentence. You can pick a "theme" for the sentences, such as Halloween or the Desert…"Give me a sentence with 'collide' that has to do with Halloween." This can provide some challenge and novelty to a routine task.

Writing:

Unit 1 of Writer's Workshop: Realistic Fiction continues. 

This week students will be drafting stories. Lessons include: how to show, not tell, and use a storyteller's voice.

Social Studies/Science:

Social Studies: Students will be introduced to their first project: What Makes Our State Special?. This group project will be completed in class over the upcoming weeks. Check the blog regularly for presentation dates (likely in mid/late November).

Earth Science: Geology - Volcanos


Reminders:
Tardies:
 Please make sure your child is at school and in line by the 8:06 bell. We try to start the school day at 8:11 promptly. Thank you for your help!

Homework:
Please check your child's Homework Log nightly and sign or initial after the work has been completed. Remind your child that completed homework and the HW log are due in class daily.

Sunday, September 23, 2018

Classroom News for the Week of September 24th

News and Upcoming Events: 

Monday 9/24: 
  • Please make sure your child return's his/her (empty) Friday Folder.
  • Orchestra instruction begins
Volunteer Opportunities:
 Do you, or someone you know, work in the travel/tourism industry? I am looking for people to come in and speak to the 4th grade students as part of an upcoming multidisciplinary project. If you, or anyone you know is willing, please email me at slc5001@lausd.net. We can discuss specifics and potential dates. Thank you!


What's Going On This Week In Class:

Math: 

Subtraction with regrouping ; Unpacking multistep word problems. 

Fluency with Math Facts

Reading:

Bridge to Terabithia: Students have chosen an end-of-unit in class project to complete and present this week. Ask your child about his/her choice.

Scholastic News: "Remembering Hurricane Maria" - Identifying Text Structure

Genre Blackout: Students are challenged to read books from 9 different genres in the first reporting period. Ask your child about his or her progress.


Writing:

Writer's Workshop: The Arc of A Story. Lessons this week focus on using a story arc (exposition -> rising action -> climax -> falling action ->) to plan our writing, and writing with a storyteller's voice rather than summarizing.


Spelling & Vocabulary:
This week's prefixes are ex (out of, outside, from), anti, contra (against). Students will choose in class activities to complete from a tiered menu of options.

Our words are:
  1. export
  2. expel
  3. exhale
  4. extract
  5. exempt
  6. antiseptic
  7. antibacterial
  8. antonym
  9. contradict
  10. counterfeit

Social Studies/ Science:

California regions; Rock Formation and Layers 

Arts:
Drama with Ms. Beret on Wednesday- Workshopping ideas for our class play; Tableau. 

Reminders:
Tardies:
Please make sure your child is at school and in line by the 8:06 bell. We try to start the school day at 8:11 promptly. Thank you for your help!

Homework:
Please check your child's Homework Log nightly and sign or initial after the work has been completed. Remind your child that completed homework and the HW log are due in class daily.