Happy Labor Day!

I hope everyone is enjoying the day of work and school!  I am getting ready to can some pepper jelly, sauerkraut, and tomatoes with my sister.  This week students will present their scientist projects, continue working on place value and money, and read and write a lot!

Welcome Back!

We're off to a great start with 25 new faces smiling at me every day!  Don't forget that our first spelling and reading tests are this Friday.  Also, I hope to see as many parents as possible at our Parent Information Night this evening at 5:30 in the gym.

Winding Down

Can you believe there are only 18.5 days of school until summer vacation?  This year has really flown by!  I guess time flies when you're having fun!!!
We're still working really hard to finish up the fourth grade curriculum and make sure everyone is ready to move on to fifth grade.  Here's how we plan to finish the year:
Science:  Physical Science-states of matter, physical and chemical changes
Math:  Geometry
Language Arts:  Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Social Studies:  Government

We have lots of other stuff going on too!
May 3:  Fourth Grade Evening of Music
May 4:  Grandparents' Day
May 7-11:  Right to Read Week
May 10-12:  Seussical the Musical
May 15:  Agricultural Day
May 16-18:  Washington D.C.
May 17:  Kings Island; Concert by the Lake
May 22:  Field Day
May 24:  Awards assembly

Happy Leap Year!

Yikes, my apologies for lack of attention to this blog. We have been so busy that I have been lax about this site (well, that and Words with Friends).

In science we are learning about the weather; more specifically, clouds and weather instruments with storms on the horizon. Students are finishing up their weather instrument presentations and foldables and getting ready to begin writing a Weather ABC book.

Math involves multiplication. Many of the students are really "getting" the process, but a few are still struggling-many of them because they still don't know their multiplication facts.

The historical fiction literature project is due this Friday, February 10. The last literature project is due in March and is student's choice of genre (should be a chapter book though).

Students are required to earn 10 AR points this month.

Chef of the Week-Jerryd

Jerryd made ants on a log and fire ants on a log.
Ants on Log
Spread peanut butter on a celery stick. Garnish with raisins.
Fire Ants on a Log
Spread cream cheese on a celery stick. Garnish with dried cranberries.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Our class will be reading The Best Christmas Pageant Ever for the next few weeks. I still have a few copies available for purchase ($1.00) if anyone is interested. (No purchase is necessary!)

Chapter 1 vocabulary

contagious - Capable of transmitting disease; carrying a disease, catching, transmittable, infectious

Page 9 - "Right now?" Miss Hemphill stared. "Why, he shouldn't be in school with red spots! It could be measles or chicken pox . . . any number of things . . . contagious things."

penitentiary - a prison for those convicted of major crimes, correctional institution, joint, keep, lockup, pen, penal institution, prison, reformatory, slammer

Page 14 - We figured they were headed straight for %*!#, by way of the state penitentiary . . . until they got themselves mixed up with the church, and my mother, and our Christmas pageant.

Chapter 2 vocabulary

privet - any of various Old World shrubs having smooth entire leaves and terminal panicles of small white flowers followed by small black berries; many used for hedges

Page 16 - One of the neighbor women called out, "Helen, are you in much pain?" and Mrs. Armstrong yelled back, "Yes, terrible! Don't let those children tear up my privet hedge!"

sentiment - a thought, view, or attitude, especially one based mainly on emotion instead of reason, emotion, opinion, attitude, outlook, reaction

Page 21 - He shrugged. "I like all the other stuff but she said to write down what we liked best, and what I like best is no Herdmans."

"Not a very Christian sentiment," my father said.

Chapter 3 vocabulary

sacrilegious - grossly irreverent toward what is or is held to be sacred, disrespectful, profane, blasphemous, improper, godless, sinful

Page 35 - Alice's mother told the Ladies' Aid that it was sacrilegious to let Imogene Herdman be Mary.

barge - to intrude or interrupt, especially rudely, break in, burst in, collide, infringe, muscle in, push

Page 36 - Some people said it wasn't fair for a whole family who didn't even go to our church to barge in and take over the pageant.

Chapter 4 vocabulary

espoused - to take as spouse; to take to wife; to marry, betrothed, engaged

Page 41 - ". . . Joseph and Mary, his espoused wife, being great with child . . ."

vengeance - with great violence or force, punishment, revenge, settling of scores, retaliation

Page 45 - "Out of the black night with horrible vengeance, the Mighty Marvo---"

http://www.mce.k12tn.net/reading37/lesson_plans_for_the_best_christ.htm

Chef of the Week-Valerie

Valerie was our Chef of the Week on November 18. The banana-peanut butter-tortilla concoction she shared was delicious!

Banana in a Blanket

Ingredients: 1 whole wheat tortilla, 1 T reduced-fat smooth peanut butter, 1 medium banana, 1 t maple syrup or honey, 1 T cereal (optional)
Instructions: Lay tortilla on plate. Spread peanut butter evenly on the tortilla. Sprinkle cereal over peanut butter. Peel and place banana on tortilla and roll the tortilla. Drizzle maple syrup or honey on top.