Weekly News--September 21st

Benson/Bodrick News

News from the 4th Grade

September 21, 2018

Math News

This week we tested on Topic 1--understanding multiplication and began Topic 2-- generate and analyze patterns.  We will finish this short topic next week and test on Friday. Because the unit test will be Friday, we will take our weekly Math 4 Today quiz on Thursday.

Every 2 to 3 weeks, I assign a Study Island assignment.  Students are to work on Study Island as part of their checklist each week.  When they do a practice lesson in Study Island, they complete 10 questions. They are required to complete at least 2 practice lessons for each assignment so that they are completing at least 20 practice questions.  At the end of the 2 or 3 weeks, I give them a grade based on 2 things--1. Did they complete at least 2 practice lessons and 2. What was their cumulative score. I give them a 100 if they complete the 2 practice lesson and I average that with their cumulative score for the final grade for that assignment.  For example, if they completed 2 lessons and had a cumulative score of 80, their overall grade would be a 90 (100 + 80 = 180 / 2 = 90). If they do not complete 2 lessons and had a cumulative score, their overall grade would be 70 (50 + 90 = 140 / 2 = 70). Please encourage your child to complete their lessons.  They can also work on this at home, but I assure you they have plenty of time to work and finish these lessons at school.

Math tests were given back to students this week and they had a chance to correct their work to make sure they understood what they missed.  These do not need to be returned to school--you can keep them at home.

Science News

This week we worked on learning about weather instruments.  Students were given an assignment to find pictures of 6 weather instruments and research their purpose.  These were printed and are in their science journals. They also wrote a letter or poem to Mother Nature thanking her for the atmosphere and letting her know what they had learned.  I have taken the science journals home this weekend to read through and grade what they have completed. They will be returned on Monday.

Next week we will continue with weather and learn the difference between weather and climate.  We will also start learning about the water cycle and creating a water cycle in our classroom as a model.

ELA News

READING LOGS

Each week, students will receive a reading log. They are expected to read for at least 20 minutes and then respond to their reading using the question bank provided in their binder for fiction and nonfiction books. Your child is only required to answer one question a night on the reading response sheet provided. However, they are not allowed to answer the same question each night. The only questions that can be answered multiple times during the week are NF14 and F17 - which ask students to summarize what they read. Students can also read the same book over the course of the week - and are encouraged to take on more challenging reads such as chapter books. If the book is not a chapter book or book that takes longer than 20 minutes to read, it should not show on log more than once. Please check weekly - if not every night - to make sure that your child is completing this task.  

WORD STUDY

This week we divulged into affixes (word parts) - understanding prefixes and suffixes and how knowing what these word parts mean can help readers determine the meaning of unknown words. Next week, we will have fun playing a modified version of Family Feud to help students practice further! Students have a list in their binders - but also in Google Classroom there is a link to the Quizlet I created for them to use as a study tool. Click here to read step by step directions on how your child can login away from school.

SOCIAL STUDIES INTEGRATION

Next week we will focus our attention on a selection from our Treasures textbook entitled “Mystic Horse”- a story about a native boy living in the Great Plains. As we read, we will practice strategies that good readers use (handout found in students’ binders) - all while we continue to learn about Native Americans of the Great Plains.  

Social Studies News

This week, 4th graders reviewed The Landbridge Theory and we began our studies of Native American Cultural Groups of the U.S. During this unit, students will learn about and be able to

• Compare the everyday life, physical environment, and culture of the major Native American groupings; including, the Eastern Woodlands, the Plains, the Southwest, the Great Basin, and the Pacific Northwest.

Students received hole-punched notes in their binder on the Eastern Woodlands and the Great Plains - and over the course of the next two weeks will have note pages on all five regions. These informational pages are studying tools so please ask your child about what they have learned thus far this week and refer them to the sheets in their binder if they cannot recall much. Another suggestion I made was creating flashcards to help them with active recall rather than just staring at the paragraphs on the informational pages. Quizlet is a great tool I use that you can utilize too to create digital flashcards - plus it comes with additional perks!

Next week,

Parents: BE ON THE LOOKOUT

• During the first Open House rescheduled to September 25th, all parents will be given a Parent Study Guide for Social Studies that provides you with an overview of all pertinent information your child will learn this year for U.S. History!
• The quiz students took at the beginning of the month will still be available to view. (Students should continue studying the material as they will see it again on summative assessment at end of this first unit).

Fourth Grade News

Related Arts Schedule for next week

 

Open House

Open House will be held on Tuesday, September 25th.  There will be two sessions (both sessions will cover the same content).  Sessions will be from 5:30-6:10 and 6:15-6:55. Ms. Bodrick and Mrs. Benson will be doing these sessions together so that if you have another child at the school, you may attend their class session also.  We will be in Mrs. Benson’s room.

Brattonsville Field Study

We are traveling to Historic Brattonsville on Wednesday, October 17th.  Permission forms went home this week. Please return them no later than Wednesday, October 10th.  The cost is $36 per student. We would love to have chaperones. Chaperone cost is also $36. Please let us know if you are interested in chaperoning.

Ending Thoughts

Thank you for sharing your children with us!  Please feel free to email us with any questions.  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 Ms. Aubriaunna Bodrick