Lots of Things to Do!

There is so much to learn and so much more to do this week!

We have started a new social studies and language arts unit: Native Americans. The students will be reading, interpreting, and analyzing Native American folktales, myths, and legends. The students have also been assigned a big INDEPENDENT trio of projects for this unit. Please make sure that your child works on these projects a little bit each week. The projects are due THURSDAY, DEC. 20. Last projects will lose 5 points per day that they are late. (Please see the green and yellow contracts and the purple or blue assignment sheets for more information. Your child took these items home today - 11/26.)

Homework for this week:

Spelling and Vocabulary units - Unit 9 for ORANGE, Unit 4 for GREEN. Tests will be on Friday.

Math: 4.3 due Tuesday, review sheets and other math pages will be assigned for wed., and Thurs. Please check your child's assignment book for the pages.

Social Studies: BIG TRIO OF PROJECTS! Work on these. The first part - picking the projects and returning the signed contracts, is due TUES. NOV. 27. I will be checking in on progress. The TRIO OF PROJECTS ARE DUE ON DEC. 20!!! We will be getting research books from the school library. The students may use the internet, books, magazine articles, etc. to find the information that they need. These projects are to be worked on at home.



In-class stuff:

We are making moccasins. The students are creating custom-made patterns and will sew and decorate their own pair of moccasins. This is a great practical application of measurement, 3-dimensional patterning, fine motor skills, and patience!


Math : Still equations, writing, solving, and balancing. It is very important that we master these skills as they are a fundamental part of...algebra. We want algebra to be as easy and enjoyable as possible.

NEW ADDITION: FRIDAY FOLDERS

Students will get a FRIDAY FOLDER every Friday. These folders will include some "extra-credit" weekend work, an occasional required weekend assignment, and the upcoming spelling/vocabulary assignments. This will help those students who wish to get the spelling/vocab stuff "out of the way" and also give an opportunity to get extra credit, review previously studied skills, and stay productive during the weekend. I do not expect the students to take time away from Shabbat or from any special weekend family time. The required assignments will be marked as such and won't be given every weekend. The majority of the Friday Folder work is EXTRA CREDIT. Do what you can.

Have a great week!

November 19-21: The Short but Very Busy Week

Wow! for a 3-day week, we certainly have a lot of exciting things to do!

We have been practicing our "Thanksgiving/Grandparents Day" program. This event will be Tuesday, Nov. 20 at 10:15 am. The program will be followed by a special luncheon for the students and their grandparents/special friends. We have made a special gift to give to our guests.

We have been learning about the history of Thanksgiving and have made a timeline of the facts we've discovered.

There will be no homework this week - due to the special events:Pep Rally/basketball games, Grandparents' Program, and Thanksgiving Break. I know the students will be heartbroken about this - but assure them that this is the "calm before the storm." Next week will be regular spelling/vocab., math, reading, and a special BIG DEAL social studies project.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and Shabbos!

Week of Nov. 12-16

We are continuing to study "All Things Ohio" by using the Ohio Studies Weekly newspapers. This week we will learn economics: supply and demand, wildlife: Ospreys, and facts about the state of Ohio.


We will finish the novel Night of the Twisters this week. The students have been doing a very good job reading and analyzing this story. Our next reading project will be a study of Native American folktales.

In Language arts, we are studying VERBS: "helping" verbs, action verbs, and verbs that show statres of being. We will continue to have 2 spelling and vocabulary groups. The "orange group" is studying Unit 8. The "green group" is studying Unit 3. The spelling/vocabulary quizzes will be on Friday.

In math, we are learning the properties of addition and how to solve equations and expressions with variables.

Weekly homework: **Please check your child's assignment book for updates**

Spelling/Vocabulary: Orange Group: Unit 8 due Friday, tests Friday.
Green Group: Unit 3 due Friday, tests Friday.

Reading: Reading Response Journal assignments assigned - Monday (due Tuesday), Tuesday (due Thursday), Thursday (due Friday).

Math: Workbook pg.4.2 assigned Monday (due Tuesday), Workbook pg. 4.2 - challenge/problem solving- assigned Tuesday (due Thursday). Workbook pg. 4.3 assigned Thursday, due Friday.


Parent/Teacher conferences are on Wednesday, Nov. 14. I look forward to meeting with you.

Second Quarter Begins...

The Fourth Graders are off to a great start for the second quarter. We are continuing to read Night of the Twisters and are keeping reading response journals to accompany our in-class discussions. We will continue to have weekly spelling/vocabulary units and tests every week - except for the week of Thnaksgiving. Our current social studies unit focuses on "All Things Ohio". We will be using a "weekly" - Ohio Studies Weekly - for our social studies lessons. We will begin learn about Ohio's earliest settlers and will do several projects - both in class and for homework - about the Native American tribes from Ohio and the rest of the United States. We have started our 4th math chapter - equations, expressions, properties of addition, and solving equations with varibles.

Our homework schedule has been a bit "off schedule". Please check your child's planner for the up-to-date assignments.