Weekly Cluesletter

Another week and we all survived!! Things seem to still be going great. I hope that you are finding that your children are enjoying school and learning a lot. I know that they are benefitting by my having already taught 4th grade here last year. I feel more organized and more ready to help your students succeed. I am sending home a lot of papers this week. This is really the first opportunity for me to see (with grades) who is struggling, and with what. I want to assure you that if you are seeing grades that you are not happy with, then I am not happy with them either. I will start small groups next week to help students with the specific standards they are struggling with. This should really help. Also, if you are seeing all perfect work, I want to assure you, too that I am going to challenge your student, as well. You may see a drop in their grade because, I tell students all the time, “If I do not know where you struggle, then I can’t teach you anything.”

Good questions to ask your students—Why would you put numbers in columns in order to tell their order? How do you put numbers in order? What are some skills that a scientist need to be able to do? Tell me an imperative sentence. What is an interjection? Ask your child to make an inference. When you are reading, or when they are reading ask them to tell you why characters do what they do.

Looking ahead: Math—We will start chapter 2, Addition and Subtraction, Writing—Poem and choosing words, Reading—“Danitra Brown Leaves Town,” Language—Subjects and Predicates, Science—How Scientist Use Graphs, Social Studies—America’s Land.
Mandi Odum has volunteered to be our Room Mom so look for some communication through her or PTA concerning our special events. Our class will have special snacks for Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day and the End of the Year. If you ever want to bring a snack, for a birthday or some other special event, just let me know. We will try to start those between 1:50 and 2:00.

Again, I just want to thank you for all your support.

Thanks,

B. Toney
4th Grade
Pine Ridge Elementary School
 
 "From there to here, and here to there, funny things are everywhere.”
--Dr. Seuss