Monarchs Unite!

Judy Krebs, educator from the Clermont County Soil and Water District, will be in the fourth grade classrooms once a month reinforcing science concepts. Today each student created his/her own life cycle of a monarch butterfly after discussion of the milkweed's lifecycle and the relationship between the plant and the animal.
We do not switch classes on Wednesdays because we have computer class and once a month Mrs. Krebs. It's really nice to have this self-contained time once a week with our homerooms. The time gives us a chance to decompress, catch up, and review skills from a different viewpoint.
Assignments:
Reading: Write a summary of "The Horned Toad Prince"; study for the test tomorrow
Math: Fix/finish math quiz pages 15 and 27
All Stars: Thanks for the jokes Bryce!

Tuesday

For you regulars, this will not be a surprise, but I am not usually able to update this page until after my first grader goes to bed. I consider it a lucky day when I can blog before 8:00. Thanks for your understanding!

Science News:

• A few students did not return their parent-signed safety contract. Please be sure to return that by Friday.
• A few students did not pass the safety test. Please ask your child whether he/she earned higher than an 80%. If he/she did not, the test will be retaken tomorrow.
• Currently, we are working on observations vs. inference. Understanding the difference between observations and inferences is very important both in science and as a genereal reading skill. Ask your child about Professor Xargle and the inferences he/she/it made about Earthlets.

Math News:
Students are working on number sense, especially place value and money.
Reading:
Each student should be have chosen a fiction book at his/her level to read for the Sept. 28 due date. Please do not wait until the last minute to work on the project. I can tell when someone has procrastinated. Check out the fourth grade website for ideas and more information.
Language Arts:
Journal and letter writing are the types of writing on which we are focusing. If you have a journal or diary, let your child see appropriate parts. I plan to bring my journal to school this week.

Homework:
Packet
Spelling
Study for reading quiz Thursday
Study for spelling test Friday

Who-Dey!

What a great turn out for Dress Like a Bengal Day! The kids and teachers really showed their support for Cincinnati football!

Parents have homework tonight. Students completed their science safety quizzes today. Now parents need to sign the safety contract that was given to and signed by the students on September 10. Safety goggles will need to be purchased by the students by next week.

We kicked off (haha, football term) Rocket Club this afternoon with a very motivational assembly! Mr. Smith went over this year's requirements for admission and a note explaining the rules is in today's take-home folder.

Assignments:

Language-worksheet on subjects and predicates

Science-Safety quiz

Reading-Read "The Horned Toad Prince"; vocabulary p. 34; practice vocabulary

Homework:

Spelling 50 point activities

Packet-State Dailies, Monarch Butterflies, Spiral Review Math

Science Safety Contract

Today's All Stars: Holly S. made Bronze Scholar. Bryce continued on her quest.

Check the Friday Folder!

It's the end of the week and the Friday Folder has lots of stuff again. This week your child's interim is stapled to the Friday Folder report. Please sign and return both the Friday Folder report and the interim along with any assignments that have been corrected to earn a better grade.

Assignments:
Math-quiz
Reading-test
Spelling-test
Language-Sentence review worksheets

Homework:
Study for science quiz on Monday
Work on spelling activities

Congratulations All Stars!
Jenna, Riley, Holly, Lexie, Hunter, and Bryce earned stars on Thursday!

See you tonight!

Don't forget to come to the Parent Information Night tonight at 7:00 in the elementary gym!

In science we have been focusing on science safety. Each student must have a signed safety contract and pass a safety test in order to do hands-on experiments in science.

Science Safety Rules

1. Follow directions.
2. Read instructions before you begin.
3. Don't fool around.
4. Dress appropriately.
5. Do not eat or drink without permission.
6. Use equipment properly.
7. If something breaks or spills, tell an adult.
8. Keep your work area neat and clean.
9. Know what to do in case of emergency.
10. Wash your hands.

Assignments:

• Math-quiz tomorrow
• Science-Spongebob sheet; In the Lab sheet
• Journal-letter to parents
• Reading-worksheet 8; finish Buckle Down Lesson 1; study for tomorrow's test
• Language-worksheet 7
• Spelling-study for tomorrow's test

All due tomorrow

Homework:

• Homework packet
• Spelling activities

All due tomorrow

See you tomorrow night!

Check the binder tonight for a letter explaining literature projects and a list of suggested activities. We have spoken about literature projects in class and students have been encouraged to choose a qualifying fiction book as their Accelerated Reader book (two birds, one stone). A qualifying book means that it is at one's reading level and fits the genre, in this case fiction. I would prefer realistic fiction as we will be tackling mystery, fantasy, and historical fiction later.

Assignments:
Math-workbook page 6
Reading-Cause and Effect worksheet 16; vocabulary practice
Language-Imperative and Exclamatory sentences, worksheet 5
Social Studies-finish map
All due tomorrow

Homework:
Spelling activities
Homework packet
Both due 9/7

All Stars
Holly, Holly, and Lexie were at it again!
Lexie is now a Bronze Scholar!

Save the Date (and the puppies)!

Reminder: We hope to see everyone at the Parent Information Night on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. in the Elementary gym. This is an opportunity to get clarification on procedures that are new and/or different in the fourth grade as well as get a better understanding of the philosophies of the fourth grade team. This is NOT a conference night.

Interested in a puppy? An adult female husky was rescued a few weeks ago and has a litter of puppies (10) who are looking for homes. They are soooooo cute, but those not adopted will be taken to the pound next week. See Mrs. Thompson for more information.

Yes, it's still hot at school, but we keep plugging away. Today the students presented their science safety information in a variety of formats including puppet shows, skits, songs, and posters. A science safety quiz is planned for early next week. This quiz must be passed and a safety contract signed by both student and parent before a student can participate in a hands-on science experiment.


If you have not signed and returned the Gauche Park permission slip, please do so as soon as possible. We like to take advantage of the park's proximity for science and social studies. Also, there were two Highlights order forms in the Friday folder last week. Even if you do NOT plan to order, please take the time to SIGN and return the form. I earn freebies for the classroom for each slip I send in. The book orders also earn free stuff for the classroom. To order online go to Scholastic's home page and register.

Assignments for 9/4:
Math-workbook p. 5
Reading-Read "Lewis and Clark and Me"; workbook p. 13
Both due 9/5
Homework:
Spelling activities
Homework packet
Both due 9/7

All Stars
The stars in this class just don't quit!
Holly made the Bronze Scholar level today!
Hunter, Lexie, Riley, and Bryce all earned stars today!