Weekly News--February 26th

Benson/Cave News

News from the 4th Grade

February 26, 2016

Math News

We had a fun time working with measuring angles this week along with exploring different polygons.  We played some games, read some books, and drew lots of angles.  Your child should be able to tell you the names of 6 types of triangles and 6 types of polygons (maybe even 7 if they paid attention).  We will finish up with symmetry this next week and take a unit test on Thursday.  

Don’t forget that you can access your child’s text book at www.pearsonsuccessnet.com  Their username is their school number id and the password is richland2.   

Zearn username:  student number   Zearn password:  benson

Aleks username:  (ask your child)  Aleks password:  aleksmat

Science News

We are still studying animals.  Students began working in groups on a Google Slideshow.  They will be collaborating with each other and learning about the different biomes.  They should be ready to present on Wednesday of next week.

Language Arts News

In ELA we are reading more folktales. They enjoyed “Roadrunner’s Dance” and were able to identify the problem and solution and learned that the solution isn’t always the answer to the problem.  Next week we will focus on skills such as summarizing text by identifying the problem and solution, articles as adjectives in grammar and spelling words with more than one syllable correctly. These skills will be test on a cold read test next week.

 

Reading logs are due on Wednesday. 5 points will be deducted from the grade for each day that the reading log is late unless the student is absent on the due date Students should have the reading logs in class everyday to show that they have completed reading homework.  Students are also learning how to determine the genre of the book that they are reading based on the details in the book.  Students cannot write just fiction or nonfiction as the genre.

Social Studies News

In Social Studies next week we will compare the first political parties and give the students an opportunity to learn about the political process by looking at  the electoral college.  Then we will begin to look west to see how the United States grew.

Fourth Grade News

PLEASE, PLEASE!  We need your child to have headphones or earbuds in class everyday. We use them every day.  They also need them every time we go to the computer lab.  Please make sure your child brings them to school everyday.  

PTO will be sending home their Spring Fundraiser with students next week.  The money raised from this fundraiser will be used to create a garden in honor of Mrs. Peake.  

Class pictures were sent home today.  If you didn’t get one and you would like to purchase one, see Mrs. Metts in the office.  She has a couple of extras for sale.  They are $12.00.

Next week is Dr. Seuss week.  Please make note of the post in the blog that gives the detail for each day.

Ending Thoughts

You may email us anytime there is a concern.  Click on our name below for a direct link to our email.  

Thanks for sharing your children with us each day!

Mrs. Shannon Benson and Mrs. Janice Cave

Dr. Seuss Week next week

Weekly News--February 19th

Benson/Cave News

News from the 4th Grade

February 19, 2016

Math News

We are finished with Division!  (Big sigh of relief!)  We began our unit on Geometry and it is going to be fun.  We did some hands on activities Wednesday to help us become familiar with the vocabulary:  line, line segment, ray, angle, point, right angle, obtuse angle, acute angle, straight angle, and angle measurements.  We have a fun project planned for the end of the unit.  We will probably be testing on Geometry the first week of March.

The Division Math project was given to students this week.  This is not an extra 100, I do expect all students to complete the project and complete it with accuracy.  I will be grading their answers for correctness not just completion.  It will be due on Wednesday, February 24th.

Don’t forget that you can access your child’s text book at www.pearsonsuccessnet.com  Their username is their school number id and the password is richland2.   

Zearn username:  student number   Zearn password:  benson

Aleks username:  (ask your child)  Aleks password:  aleksmat

Science News

We are still studying animals.  We will talk about animal habitats next week.

If your child wants to do the extra credit for Science which I emailed about the other week, make sure they have gotten the forms from me and it will be due no later than February 25th.

Language Arts News

In ELA, students learn about jazz as we read “Jazz Greats.”  They seem to enjoy reading and listening to jazz greats such as Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington as the learned about the about how jazz influenced other types of music. The “Jazz Greats” booklets were well used and falling apart so we students took the quiz on Friday.  They did well on the quiz.

Next week will read “Roadrunner’s Dance” in Treasures.

Reading logs are due on Wednesday. Students are also learning how to determine the genre of the book that they are reading based on the details in the book.  Students cannot write just fiction or nonfiction as the genre.

Social Studies News

In Social Studies students are continuing to learn about the Government.  They will also learn about the three branches of government and balance of power by completing a scavenger hunt to identify key people who had an impact on the development of our nation using their notes and the textbook.

There was an extra credit assignment given. It is an American History Comic Book story. Students are to answer questions 1-5. These questions are found on the last page of the story. It is due on Tuesday.

Fourth Grade News

The Zumba Glow Party has been rescheduled for tonight, February 19th.  It is not too late to sign up for your family to come and raise money for our school.  Wear white clothes that will glow and bring a water bottle.

PLEASE, PLEASE!  We need your child to have headphones or earbuds in class everyday. We use them every day.  They also need them every time we go to the computer lab.  Please make sure your child brings them to school everyday.

We are still selling “Hearts for Art” through the end of the month.

The Book Fair is here!  We will be shopping next week.  Mrs. Benson’s and Mrs. Cave’s homerooms will be shopping Monday after lunch.  Please send money in with your child if you wish for them to make a purchase.   You may also shop online and have the books delivered to the school.  http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/bhe1

Ending Thoughts

You may email us anytime there is a concern.  Click on our name below for a direct link to our email.  

Thanks for sharing your children with us each day!

Mrs. Shannon Benson and Mrs. Janice Cave

Hearts for Art

Weekly News February 12th

Benson/Cave News

News from the 4th Grade

February 12, 2016

Math News

We finished topic 10 today--long division.  We have worked very hard this week to master long division.  There are several videos in Google Classroom that will help your child with long division.  One strategy that I used in teaching this concept was peer tutoring.  It was wonderful seeing so many students come out of their shell helping their classmates.  If your child is still struggling with this concept, please try and work with them over the weekend.  We have been teaching the standard algorithm (the same method you and learned when we were in school.)  I did show some students who were struggling a different method today in hopes that it might help them.    It was called “chunking.”  You can watch the following video if you want to see what it is about.  https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=related&v=eF4h76R99_Q

We will review again on Monday and plan to test on Topic 10 on Tuesday.  Wednesday we will skip to topic 16--Lines, Angles, and Shapes.

On Tuesday, I will assign a math project for students to complete.  This is not an extra 100, I do expect all students to complete the project.  It is a Division Project in which students will be “opening” their own movie theater and solving problems that are related to their new business.  It will involve their multiplication and division skills.  You may want to check over this work so that their answers are correct.  It will be due on Wednesday, February 24th.

Don’t forget that you can access your child’s text book at www.pearsonsuccessnet.com  Their username is their school number id and the password is richland2.   

Zearn username:  student number   Zearn password:  benson

Aleks username:  (ask your child)  Aleks password:  aleksmat

Science News

We continued talking this week about the traits that animals have--inherited and learned behaviors.  We also learned about other behaviors.  We will start discussing ecosystems next week.

If your child wants to do the extra credit for Science which I emailed about the other week, make sure they have gotten the forms from me and it will be due no later than February 25th.

Language Arts News

In ELA we finished reading “Snowflake Bentley,” and took a cold read on the skills for this story on Thursday following a review activity where students worked with partners.  I look forward to doing more cooperative learning activities where students are working with partners in the next few weeks.  Next week students learn about jazz as we read “Jazz Greats.”  Students will also have an opportunity to hear some jazz greats that we are learning about.

Reading logs are due on Wednesday. Students are also learning how to determine the genre of the book that they are reading based on the details in the book.  Students cannot write just fiction or nonfiction as the genre.

Social Studies News

In Social Studies students are comparing the Articles of Confederation to the United States.  They will also learn about the three branches of government and balance of power.by completing a scavenger hunt to identify key peole who had an impact on the development of our nation using their notes and the textbook.

Fourth Grade News

We will be having school on Monday, February 15th.  This is a make-up day from one of our “flooding” days.

Interims will be coming home next week, Thursday, February 18th.  They will come along with our weekly  signed papers.

The Zumba Glow Party has been rescheduled for Friday, February 19th.  It is not too late to sign up for your family to come and raise money for our school.  A flier came home this week with your child.

PLEASE, PLEASE!  We need your child to have headphones or earbuds in class everyday. We use them every day.  They also need them every time we go to the computer lab.  Please make sure your child brings them to school everyday.

Starting next week, Student Council will be selling “Hearts for Art” grams.  All money collected will be donated to the Peake family in memory of our beloved art teacher, Mrs. Elise Peake.  You can purchase as many as you would like or just make a donation.  

The Book Fair is coming soon!  It will be here February 22-26th.  

Ending Thoughts

You may email us anytime there is a concern.  Click on our name below for a direct link to our email.  

Thanks for sharing your children with us each day!

Mrs. Shannon Benson and Mrs. Janice Cave

Weekly News February 5th

Benson/Cave News

News from the 4th Grade

February 5, 2016

Math News

We finished up topic 9 this week--division.  We began topic 10 today--more division.  We will work very hard next week on dividing 2-, 3-, and 4- digit numbers by 1-digit numbers.  Our next test should be on Tuesday, February 16th.  Please have your child practice their division this weekend and check over their homework next week to make sure they are understanding the division algorithm.  If they are having problems, please encourage them to ask for help at school so that they will feel successful.

Don’t forget that you can access your child’s text book at www.pearsonsuccessnet.com  Their username is their school number id and the password is richland2.   

Zearn username:  student number   Zearn password:  benson

Aleks username:  (ask your child)  Aleks password:  aleksmat

Science News

We talked this week about the traits that animals have--inherited and learned behaviors.  We will continue next week with the adaptations that animals use to help them survive in their environment.  An extra assignment was sent home yesterday with everyone.  If your child chooses to do this assignment, it is due on Monday.

If your child wants to do the extra credit for Science which I emailed about last week, make sure they have gotten the forms from me and it will be due no later than February 25th.

Language Arts News

In ELA we finished reading “Snowflake Bentley,” a biography in Treasures.Next week we will focus on the skills for this story (drawing conclusions, suffixes, prepositions)and later in the week, students will take a cold read test on the skills. After reading Grace for President the students wrote ideas about what they would do if they became president.  Many of their writings include issues that are important in our society today.

Reading logs are due on Wednesday. Many students checked out biographies to read since “Snowflake Bentley” was a biography. Students are also learning how to determine the genre of the book that they are reading based on the details in the book.  Students cannot write just fiction or nonfiction as the genre.

Social Studies News

Now that we have “fought” the American Revolution, we are comparing the Articles of Confederation to the Constitution as we  examine the first form of government for the new United States. Next week students will also learn about the three branches of government and balance of power.  Along with the social studies weekly magazines, we will use Brain pop and other interactive activities as we study the Birth of a New Nation - The young United States.

Fourth Grade News

We have early dismissal next Friday, February 12th.  Please make sure we know if there are any transportation changes.  School will get out at 11:30am.  We also will be having school on Monday, February 15th.  This is a make-up day from one of our “flooding” days.

We are collecting items to donate to a local pet shelter for our combined 3rd - 5th grade 100th Day Service Project.  Any items or donations can be brought to school next week.

PLEASE, PLEASE!  We need your child to have headphones or earbuds in class everyday. We use them every day.  They also need them every time we go to the computer lab.  Please make sure your child brings them to school everyday.

Ending Thoughts

You may email us anytime there is a concern.  Click on our name below for a direct link to our email.  

Thanks for sharing your children with us each day!

Mrs. Shannon Benson and Mrs. Janice Cave

African American Read In Pictures

We had the privilege in Mrs. Benson's class to have Ms. Elizabeth Waters from the District Office come and read to us and Mr. Joe Pinner also came and read.  This was during Mrs. Cave's homeroom's time with Mrs. Benson.  Thanks for some wonderful stories!