MrHowd.com

Spelling:  None today. We used this time to discuss our school’s Friends in Service Here (FISH) program, which locates families in need and helps them to provide a good Christmas to their children. Our class has been asked to donate gifts for a six-year old boy. A letter went home last week. Today, students volunteered to bring in presents based on his wish list. We’ll wrap them next week.

Cursive: Cursive worksheet pp. 27, 28 and 47 are available and due on Friday.

Reading: None today due to planning our FISH program donations.

Writing: Students started prewriting for their next piece of fiction. Students were also notified that they can turn in their current fiction piece tomorrow.

The next piece of writing will be a fiction piece, due Friday, December 18. Students should be prewriting by now.

Math: We reviewed the relationship between multiplication and division today.

Science: Students made a magnet minibook today. A test over these ideas will be tomorrow:

• Forms of energy (electrical, sound, light, heat, food, motion)
• States of matter (solid, liquid, gas)
• Measuring matter (weight, mass, volume)
• Measuring tools (balance, spring scale, graduated cylinder)
• Changes in states of matter (melting, evaporation, condensation, freezing)

Social Studies: We reviewed threats to Michigan’s natural resources and how we can protect them.

Behavior Update:

• Yellow magnets: 1
• Orange magnets: 1
• Red magnets: 0
• STAR Awards: 0
• Magnets moved this week (goal: 10): 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:

• Children’s Speller and Dictionary Order due Friday, December 4. Franklin has a sale in December every year. This dictionary, which we have in class, is on sale for $5 off, plus free shipping.
• Our trip to Michigan’s Capitol and Historical Museum is Tuesday, December 8. We need chaperones for the trip. Get more details.
• Friends in Service Here (FISH) donations for our six-year old boy are due before December 11. Thanks for your generosity!
• Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.
• View grades, assignments, and attendance at SnapGrades.

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

Today we focused on our Thanksgiving blessings. We listened to the Shaker song, Simple Gifts:

simple-gifts-applachian.mp3

We then wrote down all of the things we are thankful for (our Thanksgiving blessings). Some students filled a page and started onto the back.

After listing our blessings, students created a wreath to display some of their blessings.

Hope your family has a happy Thanksgiving holiday!

Behavior Update:

• Yellow magnets: 0
• Orange magnets: 0
• Red magnets: 0
• STAR Awards: 0
• Magnets moved this week (goal: 10): 1

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

Notes:

• Children’s Speller and Dictionary Order due Friday, December 4. Franklin has a sale in December every year. This dictionary, which we have in class, is on sale for $5 off, plus free shipping.
• Our trip to Michigan’s Capitol and Historical Museum is Tuesday, December 8. We need chaperones for the trip. Get more details.
• Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.
• View grades, assignments, and attendance at SnapGrades.

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

Spelling:  We reviewed common spelling patterns for the /er/ sound: er, ir, ur at the beginning or middle of a word and er, or, ar at the end of a word. We also noticed that r following a vowel creates a new sound (hut/hurt).

Cursive: No cursive assignment this week.

Reading: Today was a discussion day in Literature Circles.

Writing: We talked about adding details to help the reader to know the inner story, what the characters are thinking and feeling. Students also worked on revising and started revising conferences.

The next piece of writing will be a fiction piece, due Monday, November 30. Students should be revising their draft by now.

Math: We practiced multiplication and division fact families today. Homework is to complete Math Boxes 3.4 and StudyLink 3.4, if not done in class.

Science: We reviewed for tomorrow’s science test, which will be over these ideas:

• Forms of energy (electrical, sound, light, heat, food, motion)
• States of matter (solid, liquid, gas)
• Measuring matter (weight, mass, volume)
• Measuring tools (balance, spring scale, graduated cylinder)
• Changes in states of matter (melting, evaporation, condensation, freezing)

Students also completed a MiniQuiz over changes in matter and an Investigation Review on measuring matter.

Social Studies: None today due to art.

Behavior Update:

• Yellow magnets: 0
• Orange magnets: 0
• Red magnets: 0
• STAR Awards: 0
• Magnets moved this week (goal: 10): 0

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 trip to Michigan’s Capitol and Historical Museum is Tuesday, December 8. We need chaperones for the trip. Get more details.
• Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.
• View grades, assignments, and attendance at SnapGrades.

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

Our first field trip is coming soon; here are the details:

• When: Tuesday, December 8, 2009
• Time: Meet at McGrath at 7:15 am for 7:30 departure. Back to McGrath at or before 3:00 pm.
• Where: Michigan Capitol Building and Historical Museum in Lansing
• Cost: No cost for students or parents, except for souvenirs
• Permission Slip: Download the permission slip for this trip here
• Lunch: Bring a sack lunch with disposable containers
• Chaperones: We are looking for chaperones for our field trip. We’ll even throw in a free bus ride! Our school asks that you have a Volunteer Information Profile on file with the office.

  Would you or a family member like to chaperone? Just fill out the form below:

Spelling:  None today due to the half day schedule.

Cursive: Cursive worksheet pp. 24-26 are available and due Monday.

Reading: None today due to the half day schedule.

Writing: None today due to the half day schedule.

The next piece of writing will be a fiction piece, due Monday, November 30. Students should be revising their draft by now.

Math: None today due to the half day schedule.

Science: We finished writing notes in our minibooks about changes in states of matter (melting, evaporation, condensation, freezing). Students also acted out these changes to help them remember what the states look like and how the change happens.

Social Studies: None today due to the half day schedule.

Behavior Update:

• Yellow magnets: 1
• Orange magnets: 0
• Red magnets: 0
• STAR Awards: 0
• Magnets moved this week (goal: 10): 1

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

Notes:

• Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.
• View grades, assignments, and attendance at SnapGrades.

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