Week of January 5, 2009
Dear Parents, 

I hope you had a restful winter break with your family.  I would like to thank all the parents who helped with the holiday celebration.   Many blessings to your families for a New Year filled with good health and much joy.
Ms. Finke

REMINDERS FOR THE WEEK

* A notice went home the week of December 15 informing you about the need to hire a bus at the last minute for the field trip to the Hyde Park Art Center.  The field trip was supposedto be a walking field trip but do to severe temperatures and ice on the sidewalks, we hired a bus to ensure everyone’s safe transport.  We are asking students to bring in $3.00 each to help cover the cost of the bus.  Thank you!

*The Spelling Bee for the intermediate children will be on Friday at l:00 in the multipurpose room.  All are invited to attend.  We have 5 students from Room 203 who will be representing us at the school-wide bee.

*Young Authors Books are due Friday, January 9th.
This is not a mandatory assignment.

*Comic strips are due on January 15th.  The directions and rubric went home the second week of December.

*The end of the quarter is January 23rd.  Each student should have one non-fiction book read for the quarter for Accelerated Reader.  This should be no problem as we are starting our biography study and students will be expected to read a variety of biographies in the coming weeks.

*Please check to see your child has all the supplies needed for class.  It is at this time of the year when we need to replenish.  The students need erasable pens, red pen, 3 pencils, ruler (with inches and centimeters), protractor, scissors, looseleaf paper and crayons.  

READING

As noted above, we are beginning our biography study.  In class we will identify common features of biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs.  We will work on strategies for pulling out important information and work on summarizing many facts into clear statements. 

Read alouds this week include:  Young Arthur Ashe, John Quincy Adams, and Roy Lichtenstein.

Mrs. Holzhauer will spend the next couple of weeks in the library showing students how biographies are sorted and teach ways to choose books based on interest level and reading level.  Students should be reading and taking thinking notes as they do with all other independent reading books.

Reading Group Work

26 Fairmount Avenue - We are nearing the end of the story.  Students will use notes to analyze how Tomie and his family have changed from the beginning of the story to the end.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - Student leaders, building strategies for students to lead discussions with the presence of the teacher.  Symbolism in the text.

Tales of the Fourth Grade Nothing - Analysis of Fudge, how has he changed?  How has he stayed the same?  Writing activity - what kind of advice could you give Peter to help survive the wrath of Fudge?

WRITING

This week will be dedicated to revisit the art of journal writing. Students will review strategies to think of ideas quickly, stay focused on the prompt, and write supporting details.

MATH

Lesson 4.8 - Measuring to the nearest centimeter

Lesson 4.9 - Personal Reference System for Metric Unit

Lesson 4.10 - Measuring in Millimeters

Thursday Review of Unit 4 - Decimal place value, comparing and ordering decimals, adding and subtracting decimals, and the metric system.

Friday Unit 4 Test

SCIENCE

Review of Chemical and Physical Changes

Electricity and Magnestism - building simple and more complext circuits

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• Field Trip on Monday to the Hyde Park Art Center - Please make sure your child has a lunch and dresses in clothes that can get dirty.
• The Winter Assembly will be on Friday, December 19.  Grades 3-6 will perform at 10:30 (Grades PreK-2 will perform at 9:15).  Children have been asked to wear black bottoms, and a white,green, or red top.  In addition, children need a hat and a scarf for the performance. Please make sure they have it by Monday so we can practice with them.
• Progress Reports were sent home on Thursday 12/11.  Please sign and return by Monday.
• ISAT study guides and support materials have been purchased and distributed.  There will be periodic assignments from the books to help children become comfortable with the content and style of the test.  In addition, Mr. Mason made copies of previous tests so parents have additional examples. The copies are in a blue binder that was sent home on Friday 12/12.
• School supplies seem to be running out.  Please make sure your child has all of the necessary supplies (see the above list).  In addition, we use lots of post-it notes during reading class. This would make a great stocking stuffer!
• Please have your child bring in $5 for the holiday party by Monday to help cover the cost of food.  Thank you!

• The Book Jacket Project is due on Thursday.  As noted on the instruction sheet, no late assignments will be accepted.
• Winter has Arrived!  We will continue to go out to recess as long as the temperatures are above 20 degrees.  Yes, we do take into account that the wind often makes it colder than the given temperature and will stay in on those days.  Students have been told if they want to play in the snow they are to wear boots and need a change of shoes.  This will keep feet comfortable in the afternoon and not track in water and dirt from the playground.  In addition, children have to be properly dressed: hat, gloves, heavy coat to play outside.  Mrs. Gorman and I strongly believe the fresh air helps rejuvenate students and helps them to focus on their afternoon work.
• Reminder:  We have a field trip to the Hyde Park Art Center on Monday, December 15.  This is a walking field trip so please make sure your child wears appropriate clothing to school.
• The Winter Assembly is scheduled for Friday, December 19 at 10:30 am for grades 3-6 (PreK-2 will be at 9:15).  A letter was sent home requesting for students to wear: black bottoms and a green, red, or white top.  In addition, students are to have a hat and scarf for the performance.
• Our Holiday Party will be after the Winter Assembly.  A letter went home requesting a $5.00 contribution to help cover the cost of food.  Please send in with your child by Friday, December 12.
• Murray ISAT Night is scheduled for Wednesday, December 10.  A flyer went home on Monday 12/1.  On this evening, all parents will meet in the multipurpose room at 6:00 and hear a few words from our counselor Ms. Angela Watts. Then parents will break out into grade level rooms where they will hear more about the tests their child will be taking in March.  Parents will receive sample tests as well as strategies to help their child get ready.

READING

Read aloud:  Little Wolf’s Book of Badness by Ian Whybrow.  Skills:  1.  visualization  2.  Supporting our thinking… where does our evidence to support our thinking come from?  Does it come straight from the book?  Does it come from another book?  Does it come from a personal experience, etc.  Following our thinking paths.

Guided Reading Groups

We are making wonderful project in our three books. Students are working hard between meetings to read, take notes, answer questions, and complete various response activities.  I am enjoying getting to know each child better through this experience.

26 Fairmount Avenue by Tomie DePaola - Read chapters 5&6.  Timeline of events in the story.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis- Read chapters 7-11.  Identify the symbolism of various characters and events.  Discuss the relationship between the brothers and sisters.

Tales of the Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume - Read chapters 5&6.  Continue work on summarizing in few words.  Keeping thinking notes that encourage group discussion.

Math

We continue out work with understanding the value of decimals.  Students need lots of practice reading and writing decimals.  Please encourage your child to read decimals out loud so they can become comfortable with it.  It is just like the practice they needed with reading aloud numbers up to the millions.

Review Lesson 4.3 Comparing and Ordering Fractions

Lesson 4.4 Estimating by Rounding

Lesson 4.5 Adding and Subtracting Decimals

There will be a decimals quiz midweek to check-in on individual progress.

SCIENCE

Changes in Matter - We will explore what matter is made of, physical and chemical changes, and find answers to the question “How does matter react chemically”.  Many ideas and concepts explored in our previous chapter will carry over to this unit of study.

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Items of Note:

• Social Studies test on the Northeast will be on Wednesday
• P.T.O. Meeting is on Wednesday, December 3 at 6:00 pm in the Multipurpose Room
• The Book Jacket project due date is coming up quickly. Your child should have finished his/her book and have begun work on the project.

READING

Read Aloud:  Little Wolf’s Book of Badness by Ian Whybrow.  What type of thinking are we doing?  Predicting, text-to-text connections, character motivation. Keeping thinking notes in reading notebook.

26 Fairmount Avenue by Tomie DePaola - Review and discuss chapter 3.  Identify and clarify ideas from the time period (1938).  Identify how the importance of family comes up over and over.  Assignment:  Read chapter 4 and complete activities.

Tales of the Fourth Grade Nothing  by Judy Blume - Review and discuss chapter 3.  Summarizing - building strategies to summarize big ideas and not to dwell on minute details.  Continue character analysis of Fudge.  Assignment:  Read chapters 4&5 and complete activities.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis - Review and discuss chapters 3&4.  Character Analysis of Peter.  Assignment:  Read chapters 5&6 and complete activities.

Mrs. Hill has been checking in with students on their independent reading. Students have been working with her to generate reading goals.

WRITING

Thanksgiving Traditions:  Students will use their new knowledge of the traditions of Thanksgiving to make personal connections to identify their own family traditions.

MATH

Unit 4:  Decimals and Their Uses

In this unit we will explore the base-ten place-value system of decimals.  Students will use manipulatives to understand the values of numbers in the tenths place and in the hundreths place.  Students will learn to add and subtract numbers with decimals by lining up the decimal points and puting in a zero place-holder.  We will review the metric units of measurement and see the relationships between different units and how the decimal point moves.  And of course, decimals and money!

Lesson 4.1 Decimal Place Value

Lesson 4.2 Review Basic Decimal Concepts

Lesson 4.3 Comparing and Ordering Decimals

We will continue the basic facts quizzes up to the Winter Break.

SOCIAL STUDIES

Monday we will review the major concepts of the unit.  Homework will include the end of chapter review.  The test will be on Wednesday - multiple choice and short answer. Students have been taught on multiple occassions how to write complete answers.  Points will be deducted from the test if there are incomplete sentences or ideas.

SCIENCE

Changes in Matter - We will explore what matter is made of, physical and chemical changes, and find answers to the question “How does matter react chemically”.  Many ideas and concepts explored in our previous chapter will carry over to this unit of study.

Wishing all our families a wonderful holiday weekend. 

Murray has partnered with the YMCA to create an after school program.  On Friday an enrollment packet was sent home outlining the program and enrollment procedures.  Please visit the YMCA link to find out all the details:  http://ymca.murrayblogs.org/   Here are a few important facts to know.

• There is no fee for participation in the program.

• Forms will be accepted and processed in the order received.

• Forms will be accepted NO EARLIER than 8:00am on Tuesday, November 25th.

• Megham will be stationed in the Gym to accept forms on Tuesday, November 25th, beginning at 8:00am.  The line will form indoors on the Murray side of the gate.

• Students in Kindergarten through 6th grade are eligible to enroll.

• Space is limited! We have an enrollment cap of 80 students for each block (MWF, TuTh).

• We will maintain a waiting list after available slots are filled.

• The program will run M-F 2:30pm-6:00pm.

READING

The fourth graders will be helping the Kindergartners in Ms. Laws’ class with a weaving project on Monday and Tuesday.  To compliment this activity, we have been reading Annie and the Old One by Miska Miles.  In this Native American story, we learn about a young girls struggle to accept that her grandmother is near death.  The art of weaving is threaded throughout the story.

We had a great first week of Guided Reading!  The students were very focused and offered valuable insight into our group discussions.  Students did a great job working independently on their reading assignments as well as their independent reading.  Keep up the great work!  Mrs. Hill, our literacy support teacher, has been coming in to meet with students one-on-one to discuss progress with independent reading and to help the children establish short-term reading goals.

Each student has been assigned to one reading group.  We will continue work this week with the following stories:

26 Fairmount Avenue by Tomie DePaola - Review and discuss chapter 2.  Identify and clarify ideas from the time period (1938).  Assignment:  Read chapter 3 and complete activities.

Tales of the Fourth Grade Nothing  by Judy Blume - Review and discuss chapter 2.  Identify strategies used to maintain understanding and record thinking for longer chapters.  Begin a character analysis of Fudge.  Assignment:  Read chapter 3 and complete activities.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis - Review and discuss chapters 1&2.  Identify elements of fantasy. Redefine the genre of fantasy.  Assignment:  Read chapters 3&4 and complete activities.

WRITING

Thanksgiving Traditions:  Students will use their new knowledge of the traditions of Thanksgiving to make personal connections to identify their own family traditions.

MATH

Unit 3 Review and Test on Wednesday.  Monday and Tuesday will be review days.  A study guide/review packet will come home on Monday for homework.  Test on Wednesday.

Social Studies

Lesson 3:  The Plentiful Sea - we will explore how pollution affects watermen and the Chesapeake Bay community.  Identify similarities between watermen and lobstermen.

We are near the end of the chapter.  There will be a chapter test the week of December 1.

READING

As I started to do a quick review of the First Thanksgiving, I realized we had a lot of missing pieces.  We spent the two days last week learning about the first Harvest Feast and took time to differentiate the facts from the myths.  We worked with a cool interactive website that help us to research information as a true historian does http://www.plimoth.org/education/olc/index_js2.html .  Since we spent our time on that, we did not get to the intended read aloud.

Read Aloud:  How Many Days to America: A Thanksgiving Story, by Eve Bunting

Reader Response:  Students will compare the challenges the characters faced in this story to the challenges of the Pilgrims who arrived in the 1600s.

Read Aloud:  Little Wolf’s Book of Badness, by Ian Whybrow

Reader Response:  Keeping thinking notes and providing evidence for our thinking

Guided Reading Groups Begin

Students will be reading one of the following books with me in a small group:  26 Fairmount Avenue by Tomie DePaolo, Tales of the Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis.  Students will meet with me a couple of times a week for discussions and will read on their own to prepare for each meeting. More details to come next week.

MATH

Game:  Division Arrays to further explore the relationship between multiplication and division

**Lesson 3.7 Finding Air Distances (journal page 65)
**Lesson 3.8 A Guide for Solving Number Stories (journal page 66-68)
**Lesson 3.9  True/False Number Sentences (journal pages69-70)
**Lesson 3.10 Parenthesis in Number Sentences (journal pages 71-72)

 I sent home a slip on Tuesday 11/4 to remind you of your conference time.  Please remember that our conferences are only 10 minutes each.  Parking can be challening on this day so please give yourself some extra time.  I will observe the schedule in order to meet with all parents. If additional time is needed, we can plan a conference for a later date.

READING

Read Aloud:  How Many Days to America: A Thanksgiving Story, by Eve Bunting

Synopsis:  This story begins in an unnamed Caribbean Island where there is conflict between soldiers and citizens.  A father and mother decide to steal away in the middle of the night with other families to sail to America.  They encounter many challenges in their search for freedom.

Students will keep thinking notes and also work on making predictions.  The predictions will be recorded on a chart and will require further evidence to support thinking.

Reader Response:  Students will compare the challenges the characters faced in this story to the challenges of the Pilgrims who arrived in the 1600s.

Nonfiction Reading:  Students will read current issue of Time for Kids magazine.  Students will write a letter to President-Elect Obama to share issues that are important to them that they would like him to address while in office.

MATH

We will further explore the relationship between multiplication and division.  Students will create arrays to help identify how equal groups can be made to multiply and divide.

Here is an example of an array that represents 5 x 4 = 20:

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Basic Facts quiz on Friday.  Please help your child to set up a routine to study multiplication and division facts nightly.  Studying a variety of ways helps children to recall facts in different situations.  Students have been encouraged to:  Study fact triangles, make flashcards, find computer games, and skip count.  Skip counting helps students to develop sense of multiples and factors.

SOCIAL STUDIES

We will begin our study of the Northeast.  In this unit of study students will develop an understanding of the geography of the region, thriving natural resources, and industry.

Homework:  Students be responsible for reading and taking notes at home.  Reading and note-taking strategies will be reviewed in class.

SMARTboards in Action! 

We had a great week and were thrilled to incorporate the Smartboard into many different lessons.  Above you will see a few students sharing the map they designed using Google Maps.  I was very impressed how quickly the students were able to navigate and create detailed neighborhood maps. In addition, I was wowed by how quickly the students got the hang of manipulating the Smartboard. 

Last Day Accelerated Reader

Wednesday, November 5.  Please remember students are only permitted to take one test this week since it is the end of the quarter.

No School

Friday, November 7

Monday, November 10

Tuesday, November 11:  Veteran’s Day

Wednesday, November 12:  Parent/Teacher Conferences, I will be sending home a slip on Monday 11/3 to remind you of your conference time.  Please remember that our conferences are only 10 minutes each.  Parking can be challening on this day so please give yourself some extra time.  I will observe the schedule in order to meet with all parents. If additional time is needed, we can plan a conference for a later date.

READING

We finished Because of Winn-Dixie!  What a wonderful story that was loved by all students.  We dedicated most of our literacy block to Winn-Dixie this past week so this week we will be focusing on finishing our narrative writing. 

WRITING -

Unit 3:  Multiplication and Division; Number Sentences and Algebra

We started our unit on multiplication on Thursday, October 30.  We had a chance to study the multiplication chart to find patterns and really identify how many facts we already know.  After eliminating multiplying by 1s, 2s, 5s, 10s because the patterns are obvious, we discovered there were 38 basic facts to learn.  We were then able to cut that number in half because of turn-around-facts ( 6 x 7 = 42, 7 x 6 =42).  So, with that, students have 19 facts that need to be memorized.  They have been instructed to GET MOVING!  Students cut out fact triangles to help study nightly. The multiplication chart as well as flashcards, computer games, etc. can help them practice.  Mastery of the multiplication facts is needed as the facts will be applied to more difficult concepts as the year goes on.

• Basic Facts quizzes each Friday (this week Thursday).  Students will have 3 minutes to solve 50 problems.  Sample sheets will go home this week.
• Patterns on the Multiplication Chart
• Strategies for remembering the 9s
• Relationship between multiplication and division

SCIENCE

• Chapter 11 Review packet was sent home on Thursday, October 30
• We will play Jeopardy on Monday to review
• Chapter Test on Tuesday

SOCIAL STUDIES

• Presenting Google Map projects

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!

Ms. Finke

Look what’s new!  We now have a SMARTboard in Room 203!  A SMARTboard is an interactive chalkboard that allows images from the computer to be displayed on a large whiteboard.  The touch-sensitive display allows me and the students to interact with the software application directly from the display board.  It is possible to write on the board and use multimedia application including: working calculators, dice that roll, number grids where you can highlight patterns, and much more.  The pages can be saved to a file and printed if desired for later review. 

Fundraising from Murray’s P.T.O. helped to purchase this SMARTboard and the one in Mrs. Foluke’s classroom.  The hope is to raise additional funds this year to purchase more boards for the school.  This tool will be used across the curriculum.  The first great use of it will be this week when students present the maps they created in social studies.  Students will be able to share and interact with their individual maps for all classmates to see.

Murray Family Math Night - Tuesday, October 28

Come to Murray from 6:00-7:30 p.m. for hands-on activities and leave with practical strategies and resources to strengthen the home school partnership in math.  There will be a short keynote presentation and then families will head to small group sessions organized by grade level.

Book Advertisement

The Book Advertisement project is due Thursday.  

End of 1st Quarter

The end of the first quarter is quickly approaching.  The last day for Accelerated Reader tests is Wednesday, November 5.  Please remember, students are only permitted to take one A.R. test the last week of the quarter.  This was noted in the Back-To-School Night brochure and the 4th Grade Fact Sheet.  Report Card Pick-Up is Wednesday, November 12.  Next week I will send home a reminder slip to identify your time.

READING

• We will finish Because of Winn Dixie (Chapter 26)
• Finding examples of friendship in the story
• Discussing the theme of acceptance
• Predict the ending - What do you think happened to Winn Dixie?
• Reader Response :  How has Opal been a friend to other characters in the story?
• There will be an all-book test early next week

WRITING -

Due to Learning First Testing, we did not make as much progress in writing as planned last week.

MATH

• Subtracting across zeros:  How the regrouping works, strategies to eliminate careless mistakes
• Unit 2 Review:  Place value to 100 millions, Graphing (line plot, bar graph, line graph, and pictograph). Identifying landmarks to analyze data, adding and subtracting with regrouping.
• Unit 2 Test on Wednesday

Unit 3:  Multiplication and Division; Number Sentences and Algebra

• Patterns of multiplication
• Strategies for learning the facts using a multiplication table
• Weekly basic facts quizzes for multiplication will begin the week of November 3.

SCIENCE

• Lesson 3:  Review investigation from last week to review the idea of solubility and develop a better understanding of why some solids can dissolve and others cannot.
• Begin Chapter 11 Review - there will be a test the week of November 3.

SOCIAL STUDIES

• Thursday will be the last day in the computer lab to work on map projects. Students should have 5 places located on their map including a title and 3 places should have a short description.
• Friday - Students will begin to present their personal maps using the SMARTboard.

• Monday 9:00 a.m. - Reading Passages and Multiple Choice Questions
• Tuesday 9:00 a.m. - Math Multiple Choice Questions
• Wednesday 9:00 a.m. - Reading Extended Response
• Wednesday 12:30 p.m. - Math Extended Response

Please help your child to be on time each day. If a student arrives late, he/she will have to make up the test at another time and will miss out on instructional time.

Walk-A-Thon on Thursday, October 23.

Murray students have been raising money for the Murray Fall Walk-A-Thon.  We will be walking the neighborhood. Please send your child in appropriate dress.  Wearing layers often helps as students can add and remove as needed.  Room 203 is still in need of parent volunteers to walk with us on Thursday. I only have one volunteer at this time.

Murray Family Math Night - Tuesday, October 28

Come to Murray from 6:00-7:30 p.m. for hands-on activities and leave with practical strategies and resources to strengthen the home school partnership in math.  There will be a short keynote presentation and then families will head to small group sessions organized by grade level.

Book Advertisement

Time is running out.  The Book Advertisement project is due October 30.  Students should be finished with their books and begin work on the draft of their projects.  The best way to help your child is by helping them to plan and gather materials.  This is inevitably their project.

READING

Because of Winn-Dixie 

•  We will read through chapter 20.
•  Analyze changes in characters
• Discuss themes
• Reader Response:  Would you eat a Littmus Lozenge?
• Possibly a quiz at the end of the week

WRITING

• Revision:  Students are learning various “cutting and pasting” strategies for their narrative writing
• Moving from Draft 1 to Draft 2 

 MATH

• Lesson 2.7, part 1 - Adding multidigit numbers using the partial sum method
• Lesson 2.7, part 2 - Adding multidigit numbers using column addition method (traditional method)
• Lesson 2.8 - Subtracting multidigit numbers using column subtraction
• Unit 2 Math Test is coming up.  It looks like it will be on October 29

SOCIAL STUDIES

• We will continue work on our computer mapping projects.  Be sure to ask your child about the work he/she is doing in the lab.  We have make great progress in just a few days.

SCIENCE

• Mixtures and Solutions - exploration to identify which solids can dissolve
• Solubility
• Chapter Test will be Week of October 27