A Week in Review - October 19th

Literacy - 
In Writers' Workshop, your children have been hard at work learning how to write realistic fiction stories.  So far they have learned how to add details by telling a character's thoughts and using dialogue.  They have also been working on transitions, strong openings and closings, and showing and not telling what is happening.

Next week we will be learning about conventions.  Specifically, types of sentences - complete, incomplete, and run on.  Students will work to identify these sentence types and how to correct their own writing.

In Readers' Workshop, we will continue to learn strategies for comprehension.  We have been learning about signposts to help us figure out what the main message of the story is.

Math Workshop-

This week we will continue Unit 2 - Multiplication and Geometry.  Last week we developed an area

formula by thinking about how "Ricky" could plan a party for 23 of his friends and himself.  We will continue looking at factors and multiples this week.  Your children have been working very hard to make sense of these familiar- yet new ideas.  They have been learning new vocabulary like - factor, factor pair, multiple, prime, composite.  Any chance you have to incorporate these words at home would be greatly appreciated.







Science and Social Studies
In Social Studies, we are continuing to learn about US Geography.  We have learned about physical and human characteristics that can be found in the US.  They created land form maps with clay. We are adding into this understanding by looking at how the regions of the US have common human and physical characteristics.

In Science, we are continuing to learn about Energy.  This past week we began learning about Electromagnetism.  This week we will continue to learning about how an electromagnet can be strengthened and used to create a telegraph.



Upcoming Events-
10/31 - Halloween Parade and Trick or Treating (4th Grade) at the ESC
11/6 - No School Election Day
11/7 - Picture Retake Day
11/8 - Bonaventure Family Skate Night

Homework Connection

Hello Families,

Today the first Homework Connection is coming home with your child.  This homework note will ALWAYS come home on Fridays.  It will be due the following Friday.  Additionally, they will be bringing the homework -  home in a two pocket folder along with a spiral notebook.  This is what they will record their learning in and how they will bring their homework to school on FRIDAY.

We worked together in class today to set learning goals for homework.  Your child will pick a minimum of TWO activities to complete during the week.  On Friday, they will need to bring evidence of their work to school so that we can discuss it.  When I meet with them next week, they will tell me about how they worked on their learning goal and how close they are to achieving the goal that they set.  The tasks are open ended by design.  It allows children to work on the task where they are in their understanding.  For example, two children may want to work on subtraction.  One may work on two digit subtraction, while others can work on 5 digit subtraction. 

In Google Classroom (your child has their login/password in their planners), I will post videos about topics that they are working toward.  I will do this as much as I can.  

Additionally, I have assigned subtraction and addition practice lessons in iReady that can be used for extra practice.  I have also sent home the iReady parent reports.  They show how your child is doing in regards to the 4th grade standards.  

This first week will be tricky.  This homework requires them to think about their own learning and where they need to go next.  Part of becoming a learner and mastering a task or job is struggling.  When we struggle our brains grow and learning happens.  Making mistakes helps us grow as learners, and as humans.  

Thank you for your help and cooperation.  As always, if you have concerns or questions please feel free to contact me.

Ellen McDonald

October WLE TV News

October 2nd:  https://youtu.be/uj_WHu5yBXo
October 3rd:  https://youtu.be/0vB1fZkXFVs
October 4th:  https://youtu.be/_jrQ0YlnoqU

October 9th: https://youtu.be/dn2MOZxuOJI
October 10th - NO NEWS TODAY
October 11th:  https://youtu.be/MeOjr5biGUg

October 16th:  https://youtu.be/mhk5KJd__Qk
October 17th:   https://youtu.be/uSOYfjsveog
October 18th:  https://youtu.be/92BAIT9LN-c

WEAR YOUR MSU/UofM gear to show your team spirit for Saturday's Game:)  Go WHITE...

October 23rd:  https://youtu.be/W7cTfIqPBqE
October 24th:  https://youtu.be/iF_x9UpoGZU
October 25th:  https://youtu.be/qxLEx6vzMVY

October 30th:  https://youtu.be/jg7UqDaYRWg
October 31st:  https://youtu.be/Oex0gClZ55o
November 1st:  NO NEWS TODAY

A Week in Review - September 28th

Hello Families,

We are getting settled into room 17.  We have found a great routine, gotten

to know each other and are ready to dig into learning.  This group of children work so well together! 

Homework Connection - Goes Home Friday

This week we will begin our homework routine.  On Friday, I will meet with your child, help them set a goal for learning, and they will choose their homework activities.  Next Friday, they will bring their evidence of learning back to school.  We will talk about their learning, set new goals, and the process will begin again.  For this year, homework will go home on FRIDAY and will be due the following Friday.  A homework note will ALWAYS go home on Friday.  So be sure to look for it in your child's backpack.  I will also make the homework note available in Google Classroom, just in case it gets lost.


Science - Transfer of Energy
We Have been working with electrical systems in science.  Your children have learned about how to open and close a circuit.  They have learned about the differences between series and parallel circuits.  It has been quite fun to learn how energy is transferred within a system.  This week we will be working on a new force - magnetism.

Math - Making Sense of Subtraction

In Math we have been working really hard to make sense of subtraction.  Your children have been

 learning about how the "traditional algorithm" works.  We have also learned how to use other strategies, like the number line to show the DIFFERENCE between two numbers!

Often the children will work in small groups to make sense of a mathematical idea and then post their groups thinking in the room.  We will have a "gallery walk" to see how others thought about the same idea.  As a class, we will discuss similarities and differences and then make conclusions about the big idea.  Your children work so hard to make sense of mathematics.  It is really a joy to work with them.

Literacy - 

In writers' workshop we are beginning to write realistic fiction stories. Last week we learned to think about the story bit by bit and the characters feelings in each part.  This week we will transfer those ideas into a story mountain and add even more details to the stories.

      In readers' workshop we are learning to think about the clues that the author leaves us to help us understand the stories better.  These clues are called SIGNPOSTS, and can be found in ANY book - even the ones you read..   So far we have learned about 2 signposts - Aha Moments and Memory Moments.  Aha moments are when a character realizes something important about themselves.  When we notice this - we ask ourselves "How might this change things for the character?"  Memory Moments are flashbacks to an early time.  When we notice a memory moment, we ask ourselves "How might this memory be important to the story?"  Both of these signposts will really help your child think deeply about the books that they are reading and the life lessons that the book has to offer.

Family Skate Night - Thursday is our first Family Skate Night of the year at Bonaventure from 6-8:30pm.  I look forward to seeing some of you there.  My girls love family skate night.