CluesLetter

Man, it seems like this year is flying by. With Christmas break, MLK Day, and the snow day thrown in, I do not feel like we have been on a good schedule yet!. We are getting there, though. You will not see a lot of papers coming home this week because we spent a lot of time reviewing last week, but please ask your children to share with you some of the notes and things we do in class. This is a lot of their grade, and I am beginning to understand how little of it you see. I find their work (that is supposed to be neatly in folders) in the back of the room, or shoved in the back of the desk, or on the floor when students leave. Now, do not get me wrong I expect a lot of this, but I do want you to know what your children are learning. I do not take this work up and grade it because I want the students to use it to study throughout the week. They do, however, receive daily grades for doing and having this work.

Since the beginning of January, we have learned division by two digit numbers, writing an autobiography and persuasive paragraph, fact and opinion and theme in reading, and ecosystems in science. We have read over 30 AR books, and two stories from our reading book. We have had spelling words and vocabulary words in every subject. We have, also, carved out time to review previous math concepts at the end of the day.

Next week, we will be on lesson 19 in the reading book. We will study theme again, our spelling words will be plurals and possessives, our writing will be fables, and our vocabulary will come from the story Juan Verdades: The Man Who Couldn’t Tell a Lie. In math you will be glad to hear that we are finished with division, and will be moving to fractions. Believe me, the division will be harder than the fractions. For the students who are still struggling with division, I will pull them out and work with them in smaller groups. In science we will continue with ecosystems.

I had gotten away from checking the agendas, to make sure they were signed, before the break, but I really think it is necessary because it gives us a better chance to communicate on a day to day basis. So, please sign you child’s agenda every night, and I will make it a habit to make sure you child is writing in it.

Thank you for all your support,

Christmas Party

Christmas Party
Trevor Coca cola Cake
Jennifer M & M Cookies
Jacob Brownies
Dakota Triple Chocolate Cake
Trent Apple Pie
Declan Key Lime Pie
Nina Fudge
JT Banana Pudding
Sydney Plates, napkins, cups, forks, knives and spoons
Alex Pies
Arionne Cookies
Austin Cookies
Jessica Hot Chocolate
Skyler Brownies
Benjamin Cookies with Heath Bar
Madison Chocolate Cake
Kitana Christmas Cookies
Bryce Rice Krispies Treats
Dylan Cupcakes

CluesLetter

As the holidays approach, we will spend more and more time reviewing the concepts we have covered the first 90 days of school. I find this approach helps students retain information over the two week break. We will also review the first week back. Homework will exist, but it will be light. A lot of the work will be done in class. I am also looking forward to some of the holiday activities I have planned for next week.

If you are like me, you are busy, busy, busy. It seems like every night and weekend day is filled with more than one place to go or thing to do. I will try and keep this in mind, as well.

You have done a great job volunteering for the party on the back is a list, just to remind you.

I will talk to students about portion control. You can help by making bite sizes pieces of your treats.

The students voted to exchange gifts. Each student (who wants to participate) needs to bring in a paperback book or an activity book. We will exchange them randomly at the party.


Thanks, and have a great holiday season,

CluesLetter

We have really been busy in class. Long division—I can remember when I was in school everyone thought this was the hardest thing we learned, and that was in middle school. The students are really getting the hang of it though, and I want thank you for all the work you are doing at home with them. It really shows. Every day the students who are doing their homework and getting it checked by parents are more confident with each problem they do. Again thanks!!

Christmas Party
We have discussed the Christmas celebration, and the students said that they wanted you to make your best dessert and bring in enough to share. I know this sounds like a lot of sweets, but it’s only one day, so I said what the heck. The party will be after lunch on Thursday, December 17. Can you please tell me what you would like to bring by signing below? That way I can organize and send out reminders.

________________________ will bring _________________________________.

You can also let me know if you plan to attend—Yes No.

Thanks

Looking ahead--Math—Chapter 10 Divide by One Digit Numbers
Reading—Imagination @ Work—Lesson 16—So You Want to Be an Inventor?
Spelling—words ending with the “L” sound
Writing—Narrative
Language—pronouns

Looking Ahead

• 11/18- Christmas Pictures
• 11/20- Eagle Tea- 9:30
• 11/25-11/27- Thanksgiving holiday
• 12/1- CSU Theater Production- 3-4 at 9:30;
• 12/7- Santa Shop opens in PTA mobile unit
• 12/8- PTA program with choral program 7:00
• 12/11- Eagle Tea- 9:30
• 12/22-1/1- Christmas Break

Cluesletter

Fall Festival Tonight!!
The PTA has really been working hard to prepare a good time for all of us. I will be here with the kids, and I hope to see a lot of you here too. It should be fun. Thank you to all the volunteers who are helping tonight!

Progress Reports are going home today. Please sign and return them on Monday. I will let the students keep them once I know that you have seen them. Thanks.

Early Release Monday.
Students get out at 11:30 on Monday, and there will be no afterschool program. Please plan ahead.


Thank you.

Looking ahead--Math— Chapter 9 Multiply by Two Digit Numbers
Reading— Natural Changes—Lesson 13—Fire Storm
Spelling—Suffixes-able, -ible, -ness, -ment, -less.
Writing—Narrative and Informational writing
Language—Possessive Nouns
Science—Chapter 4—Sound and Light—Lesson 1

Cluesletter

OK I am sending home the Cluesletter a little early this week because of all that is going on at school. Tomorrow we have the annual book parade, and our class party. I, also , want to thank you for all that you are doing. I know that the list is long with all the things that we are asking you to do: like the parade, party, drinks, and volunteer time at fall festival, chocolate for the basket, selling Butter Braids, buying Square One art and the list goes on and on. We are feeling it here at school as well. We have had benchmark testing, a puppet show and helicopter this week along with the parade and the party, and all of our classes and assignments. For that reason we are only having the reading and spelling test on Friday. We will try to get back on our regular schedule of time test on Fridays next week. We are getting a little behind schedule, but I do not want for you to worry, I have built than in, I just wasn’t sure when it would start. As I walk around the room and talk with the students, I am surprised by how much we have already accomplished.

As for the opportunities that you have to volunteer and donate here at school, I want to make sure that you know that send home all the opportunities for you. You decide what you want and are willing to do. I see this list four times. I send it home to you and then I see with all three of my children. I know that there is no way that anyone can do it all. Any time you volunteer your time or donate items it is appreciated.

Thank you.

Looking ahead--Math—Chapters 7-8 test on Tuesday
Chapter 9 --Multiply by Two Digit Numbers (start Wednesday)
Reading— Natural Changes—Lesson 12--Mountains
Spelling—words with prefixes
Writing—Informational and narrative
Language—Nouns
Science—Review


Dates to remember—
October 30—Class Party
November 6—Fall Festival
November 6—Progress Reports

Cluesletter

Well, it’s report card time! If I figured correctly, we had about 184 grades and exactly zero F’s. This maybe the first time in over 10 years of teaching that that has happened in my class. I do not like to give F’s, but I believe that students earn the grades and that they get rewarded for their efforts. If grades are higher or lower than you expected, please remember that I only send home tests on Fridays. We do a lot in here, and I grade a lot in here. You should see grades coming home throughout the week along with the grades sent home on Fridays. Things have been very good in the classroom though, and the students seem to be working hard on learning. I think, though, that I am more ready than they are for recess. It seems like we haven’t been outside in a month, and we are all getting cabin fever. I am starting to remember the drought as a good thing. We got to go outside everyday, it was warmer, and I rarely had to cut grass.

I will not try to cram one week of studies into two days next week, so NO SPELLING and NO MATH SPEED test for fall break!!

Please remember the fall festival—We have two important volunteer opportunities. 1. Our class is manning the food court and we need volunteers to sign up for times to work there, and 2. We need chocolate!! We are making a basket to be raffled during the festivities. Our theme is chocolate. Please contribute either some chocolate or one dollar. Mrs. Ingle has agreed to take the monetary donations and spruce up our basket. Thanks!

If your child made all A’s, A’s and B’s, and/or perfect attendance for the first nine weeks you are invited to Honors Day. Each child will be rewarded for their effort and hard work. Fourth grades time is 10:00am.

Dates to remember—
October 16—Report Cards
October 20—Honors Day
October 21-23—Fall Break
October 28—Picture Retakes
October 30—Class Party
November 6—Fall Festival

Please see the note sent home today about the Fall Festival.

Robust Vocabulary

comprehend
pliable
solitary
scan
vulnerable
exuberant
mature
lumbers
encircle
nurture

Spelling Words--Review

castle
handle
ruffle
icicle
fable
soccer
appear
hollow
classic
college
accent
service
jersey
mother
problem
subject
complete
mattress
purchase
luncheon

Cluesletter

I am sending home the Cluesletter a little early this week because I will not be here on Friday. With grade level planning, fire safety, projects due, and me being out a day, we have not covered all the material I wanted to this week so I am going to postpone the reading and vocabulary test to Monday. The spelling test and the math speed test still be tomorrow.

Every time I assign a project, I feel like it is so much work for the students and the parents to do. So I put off doing them, or we do small ones in class, but whenever projects are turned it, I am reminded how valuable they are to the educational process. I was amazed at the Native American projects that you and your children turned in this week. Reading about, and seeing video clips about the Native Americans can only keep a child’s interest so long. The students will NEVER forget the Native Americans they studied, the artifact they made, or why it was useful these people. Also, there is another effect that I love about projects. Some of the students who are not the “best” have excelled at this project and others in class. I like to find success in every student, and projects like this really boost those students’ self esteem because they have produced really good work.

Thanks for all your hard work and support.

Dates to remember—
October 16—Report Cards
October 20—Honors Day
October 21-23—Fall Break
October 28—Picture Retakes
October 30—Class Party
November 6—Fall Festival

Please see the note sent home today about the Fall Festival. We need volunteers for serving food during the activities. I thought this would be much easier and a lot more social than manning a game. I hope you agree.

Looking ahead: Math— Multiplying by One Digit Numbers
Reading— Getting the Job Done—Lesson 10—Emerald’s Eggs
Spelling—Review
Writing—Informational and Persuasive
Language—Review
Science— Chapter 3—Weather—Lesson 2
Social Studies— Chapter 4—European Settlements

Vocabulary Words--Lesson 9

unique
infest
intervals
delicate
flexible
bond
inspires
preserve

VCCCV--Spelling Words

1. monster
2. complete
3. hundred
4. exchange
5. sandwich
6. surprise
7. applause
8. although
9. conflict
10. mattress
11. purchase
12. merchant
13. pumpkin
14. angry
15. Thursday
16. ostrich
17. punctual
18. address
19. chestnut
20. luncheon
21. implication
22. enterprise
23. comprehend
24. bolster
25. mongrel

Clues Letter

OK, Your kids are great! For that reason I am going to change a couple of the classroom procedures that we normally follow. First, we will do spelling homework a little different. On the back of this sheet you will find the spelling homework. I hope that this will be more engaging for the students, and that they can use their creativity more when studying. It will also give you a typed list of the words to study each week. Also, I am going to stop putting behavior sheets on each child’s desk each week. Instead I am going to put the rules on the sheet and let them stay there for as long as possible. The behavior in this class has really been outstanding, and I feel like I am wasting paper putting sheets on students’ desk for no reason.

I am also sending home a little project. It is about the Native Americans. Make sure that your child spends more time being able to tell why the artifact was important to the people than working on the artifact itself. It will be due Thursday, October 8. Thanks.

Dates to remember—
October 16—Report Cards
October 20—Honors Day
October 21-23—Fall Break
October 28—Picture Retakes
October 30—Class Party

Questions to ask you children—What’s in the sky? Who lived here (America) before we did? How did the Native Americans use natural resources? When do you use a line graph? When do you use a double bar graph? What did the author of your AR book write it? What are some elements of great writing?

Looking ahead: Math—Multiplying by One Digit Numbers
Reading— Getting the Job Done—Lesson 9—Weaving a California Tradition
Spelling—VCCCV
Writing—Narrative and Informational
Language—Clauses and Phrases; Complex Sentences
Science—Chapter 3—Weather—Lesson 1
Social Studies— Chapter 3—Age of Exploration

 
Nine tenths of education is encouragement.
-- Anatole France

Robust Vocabulary

slick
impressed
cease
exist
fierce
nimble