MrHowd.com

Spelling: Students received their fourth grade 500 Core Word List (PDF) to take home, and the Unit 1 spelling worksheet. The Core Word List is the list of all spelling words this year. You can find more information in the spelling section of our website, including copies of the spelling list, all the spelling worksheets for the year, and sample units and tests to view.

Cursive: Cursive worksheet pp. 12-14 are available in class and due on Friday.

Reading: Students received new shared reading books today, Esperanza Rising.

Writing: Students made an Authority List of all the topics they know about, including places they have been, things they’ve done, and subjects they know about. They also started making a list of things they would like to write about this year. They will use these lists to select a topic to write about. Homework is add five things to their Brainstorms list. The first piece of writing, a personal narrative story, will be due into portfolios Friday, September 25.

Math: We reviewed rays, lines and line segments. Homework is to finish Journal p. 4, if not finished in class.

Science: We reviewed the Science Court Part 1 activity page from yesterday, and the assignment was collected for a grade.

Social Studies: We started a unit on the Underground Railroad by looking at this website.

Behavior Update:

• Yellow magnets: 2
• Orange magnets: 0
• Red magnets: 0
• STAR Awards: 0
• Magnets moved this week: 4

Check your student’s Personal and Social Growth grade at SnapGrades to see if your student moved their magnet. Need help with SnapGrades?

Notes:

• Writing Portfolios are due on Friday! Students can decorate them with drawings, pictures, newspaper or magazine clippings, stickers, or anything else that can be attached to the folder and laminated.
• View the school supply list.
• Grand Blanc has a new Wellness Policy (PDF).
  
• Would you like to volunteer for a class event? Download and print a volunteer information form (PDF).
  
• Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date. View
• View grades, assignments, and attendance at SnapGrades.

Our Mission:
Every student in Room 130 leaves improved and prepared for 5th grade.

Spelling: None today. We finished up creating our Mission Statement today, and here’s what the class came up with:

Every student in Room 130 leaves improved and prepared for 5th grade.

Cursive: Cursive worksheet pp. 12-14 are available in class and due on Friday.

Reading: Students received new Literature Circles notebooks today.

Writing: Students made their writer’s folders today. Also, each student received a colored folder. Homework is to decorate this folder with drawings, pictures, newspaper or magazine clippings, stickers, or anything else that can be affixed on folder. The folders will be laminated and used for writing portfolios this year. Students were asked to return the decorated portfolios by Friday.

Math: We started a review of rays, lines and line segments. Homework is to finish Math Boxes 1.2 in the Math Journal.

Science: We started a Science Court case out to decide if the left-handed people in Sciville are causing increased UFO sightings! Students started working in class on the Part 1 activity page, and it is homework if not finished in class.

Social Studies: Students made Michigan History minibooks today that will be used to collect notes.

Behavior Update:

• Yellow magnets: 2
• Orange magnets: 0
• Red magnets: 0
• STAR Awards: 0
• Magnets moved this week: 2

Check your student’s Personal and Social Growth grade at SnapGrades to see if your student moved their magnet. Need help with SnapGrades?

Notes:

• View the school supply list.
• Grand Blanc has a new Wellness Policy (PDF).
  
• Would you like to volunteer for a class event? Download and print a volunteer information form (PDF).
  
• Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.

Today, we worked on these activities:

• We practiced multiples (2, 4, 6, 8 or 3, 6, 9, 12) for the warmup.
• Today was Team Day. Students had to work together to…
  • cross a line, while keeping their shoes touching their neighbors shoes at all times
  • untie a not in a rope around a tree, while holding the rope, not letting go, and not switching hands
  • get their entire group on an ever-shrinking sheet, and
  • move a hula hoop to the ground, with everyone using just one finger to hold the hoop up, and also keeping their finger touching the hoop at all times.

The students worked hard and didn’t give up. It wasn’t easy, and many students failed at first, but they let their failures teach them! Everyone can be proud of how hard they worked together! Thanks to parents and family members for helping to coach the activities! We couldn’t have had Team Day without you!

Today, we also…

• started working on our class Mission Statement
• passed out Friday notes (look for your students shuttle folder)

Finally, we ended class remembering the sad events of September 11, 2001. We watched a presentation of images and also listened to a poem.

[HTML1]

Behavior Update:

• Yellow magnets: 3
• Orange magnets: 0
• Red magnets: 0
• STAR Awards: 0
• Magnets moved this week: 3

Check your student’s Personal and Social Growth grade at SnapGrades to see if your student moved their magnet. Need help with SnapGrades?

Notes:

• Thanks to all the families that attending our Open House last night!
• View the school supply list.
• Grand Blanc has a new Wellness Policy (PDF).
  
• Would you like to volunteer for a class event? Download and print a volunteer information form (PDF).
  
• Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.

Today, each student created several personal goals, inspired by the speech President Obama gave to students on Tuesday. Later, student will publish their goals and progress at a class website to be created in the future.

We also created some goals for our class:

• We will improve our STAR reading level every month, and achieve a year’s growth or more by the end of the year.
• All students will pass the Multiplication and Division “Super Mad Minute” tests by the end of the year.
• We will move our magnets no more than ten times each week.

Other activities we worked on:

• Teams were given class jobs and we continued to practice class procedures.
• Students were given “shuttle folders” today. Look for these plastic folders when students have papers, homework or notes to take home, or bring back to school.
• We played People Bingo (PDF) to continue to get to know each other.

Behavior Update:

• Yellow magnets: 2
• Orange magnets: 0
• Red magnets: 0
• STAR Awards: 0
• Magnets moved this week: 2

Check your student’s Personal and Social Growth grade at SnapGrades to see if your student moved their magnet. Need help with SnapGrades?

Notes:

• Our Open House is tonight, from 6-7 p. Come visit the room, introduce your family, and chat about the upcoming year!
• Team Day is Friday, September 11, from 10:00-11:30 a. Students will be participating in several cooperative, team-building activities. Family members are needed to help manage the activities; directions will be provided. Do you know someone who can help? Just contact me and let me know!
• View the school supply list.
• Grand Blanc has a new Wellness Policy (PDF).
  
• Would you like to volunteer for a class event? Download and print a volunteer information form (PDF).
  
• Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.

We continued today to work on and practice procedures for the new school year. Students received new seats and desks, completed a cursive quiz,  received their lockers, elected team captains, and made locker signs.

Mrs. Houser taught a lesson to help us understand two MEAP phrases: “unnecessary information” and “apostrophe.”

Also, we watched the speech President Obama gave to students yesterday. Tomorrow, we’ll make goals for ourselves and our class, as the President suggested.

Notes:

• Our Open House is Thursday, from 6-7 p. Come visit the room, introduce your family, and chat about the upcoming year!
• Team Day is Friday, September 11, from 10:00-11:30 a. Students will be particpating in several cooperative, team-building activiting. Family members are needed to help manage the activities; directions will be provided. Do you know someone who can help? Just contact me and let me know!
• View the school supply list.
• Grand Blanc has a new Wellness Policy (PDF).
  
• Would you like to volunteer for a class event? Download and print a volunteer information form (PDF).
  
• Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.