Weekly News--November 22nd

Benson/Cave News

News from the 4th Grade

November 22, 2016

Math News

We took our unit 5 multiplication test today.  We will begin long division when we return from Thanksgiving Break.  

This week I will not be giving an ALEKS grade due to our shortened week.  We will pick up with ALEKS again next week.  Students will need to do at least 5 topics for the week of November 28th.

Interims go home on December 1st.  I will be sending a detailed grading sheet home with each student with any missing assignments highlighted.  Please make sure to sign and return these so that I know that you are aware of any of this work.

Science News

We worked on our constellation projects these last two days.  Students drew their own constellation, named it, and wrote a story about the origin of their constellation.  If they did not finish this by the end of class, they will need to finish over the break.  Points will be taken off for every day that the assignment is late after Monday.  This counts as 2 project grades.

Language Arts News.  

This week many students finished and published their Colonial Trade stories after researching different trades on the Colonial Williamsburg website. Next week we will read “Dear Mrs. LaRue,”a fantasy story in Treasures.  There will be a quiz on this story later in the week.  Did you know that your students can use their reading text when taking the quiz?  Did you know that students can also earn 1 point extra credit for putting the correct page number beside their answer for each question on the text except the vocabulary questions?  

Social Studies News

Next week students will learn about the triangular trade route and the impact of slavery in the colonies.  We will finish out unit of study on Colonial America.  Look for a study guide to come home soon for the test on Colonial America.  

Fourth Grade News

Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, we will not have school next Wednesday-Friday.  Enjoy the long holiday with your family!  

We will be going on our field trip next Wednesday!  We are going to Historic Brattonsville on November 30th.  We are excited to be able to have this wonderful opportunity for our students to learn more about life on a plantation and our country’s history that took place right here in SC.  Please note:  Your child will need to have transportation to school that morning because we will leave before all buses have arrived.  We will be back in time for regular dismissal.  Also, many of you signed up to bring lunches from home.  Please remember those lunches because there are no places close by to pick up extra food.

Interim Reports will be available on Thursday, December 1st.  Please make sure to log into Parent Portal that day so that you may see your child’s progress in their classes.

Our Winter Concert will be held on Thursday, December 8th at 6pm.  Our chorus will be performing as well as the students in grades K-2.  We hope to see many of you come out and support our student performers.

Ending Thoughts

We are very excited for this school year and to be able to teach your child.  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--November 18th

Benson/Cave News

News from the 4th Grade

November 18, 2016

Math News

We are finishing up our multi-digit multiplication unit.  We will take the unit test on Tuesday before the Thanksgiving break.  Our next unit will be long division.  We will begin this unit after Thanksgiving and learn many methods to do long division.

IMPORTANT MATH NEWS***Every week, students will be given a grade in ALEKS.  They should be logging into ALEKS a minimum of 2-30 minute periods of time during the week at school.  This is plenty of time for them to master topics.  They can and should access ALEKS at home.  All students should master at least 5 topics per week starting next week.  I will be printing a report each Monday morning so that any work they do over the weekend will be counted for the previous week.  Therefore, if they have not mastered their topics by the time they leave school on Friday, they should log in at home over the weekend to make sure their 5 topics are mastered.  The number of topics will increase as the year progresses.

Science News

We have had fun talking about the stars and constellations this week.  Monday and Tuesday we will be designing our own constellation and writing the story of how our constellation began.  This will be a major project grade.  It will be divided into two parts.  Part one will be designing and drawing the constellation.  Part two will be writing about the constellation.  If students do not finish this by Tuesday, they may finish over the break, but it will have to be turned in the Monday we return.

Language Arts News.  

Next Week in ELA students will complete their research on a trade that was useful in the 13 colonies.  Students are expected to read two stories in Big Universe, our online reading program each week that falls within their reading range and take a quiz on the story. .  Next week the chapter book/story that each student reads will be counted as their reading selection or this short week.   

Social Studies News

Next week we will compare and contrast life in the Colonies by examining their government, economy and social aspects. We will also use historical maps and other graphic organizers..  

Fourth Grade News

Donuts for Dads will be held this coming Tuesday, November 22nd at 8:00am.  

Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, we will not have school next Wednesday-Friday.  Enjoy the long holiday with your family!  

We will be going on our field trip soon!  We are going to Historic Brattonsville on November 30th.  We are excited to be able to have this wonderful opportunity for our students to learn more about life on a plantation and our country’s history that took place right here in SC.  Please note:  Your child will need to have transportation to school that morning because we will leave before all buses have arrived.  We will be back in time for regular dismissal.

Ending Thoughts

We are very excited for this school year and to be able to teach your child.  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--November 11th

Benson/Cave News

News from the 4th Grade

November 11, 2016

Math News

We have been learning many methods to multiply multi-digit numbers.  Next week we will focus on multiplying by 2-digit numbers.  Students are working very hard at completing their checklists!  We plan on testing this unit before the Thanksgiving break.

IMPORTANT MATH NEWS***Every week, students will be given a grade in ALEKS.  They should be logging into ALEKS a minimum of 2-30 minute periods of time during the week at school.  This is plenty of time for them to master topics.  They can and should access ALEKS at home.  All students should master at least 5 topics per week starting next week.  I will be printing a report each Monday morning so that any work they do over the weekend will be counted for the previous week.  Therefore, if they have not mastered their topics by the time they leave school on Friday, they should log in at home over the weekend to make sure their 5 topics are mastered.  The number of topics will increase as the year progresses.

Science News

We had fun diving into Space this week!  We talked about the reasons for seasons.  Next week we will talk about stars and constellations.  We might even create our own constellations and name them as a mini-project.  

Check out the moon this Monday night--November 14th.  We will be having a SuperMoon--the moon will be closer to the earth on Monday than it has been in 60 years!  Click on the link below for an article and video about the supermoon that you might want to share with your friends and family.

Supermoon article

Language Arts News.  

Next Week in ELA students will review skills from “Because of Winn Dixie” including sequencing, run-on sentences and words with long o sounds. Then we will read “Two Kettles,” a book about the circumstances that brought a Native American and English girl together during the early colonial period.   Students will also research trades in the colonies and choose a trade that they are interested in.  

Social Studies News

This week in social studies we studied Early English settlements such as Roanoke, Jamestown and Plymouth. Students also learned about the Middle Colonies and students completed a review in class.  Next week we study  Southern Colonies and students will compare the New England, Middle and Southern Colonies.  They will also take a virtual trip to Colonial Williamsburg to help them explore Southern Colonies.  This website will also be helpful with their research on the different trades that were available during colonial times.

Fourth Grade News

The BHE Educational Foundation is hosting a Spaghetti Dinner on Thursday, November 17th from 4:30 - 7:00 pm.  Spaghetti is being made by Seawell’s.  We hope many of you can come out and enjoy a nice dinner and support the Ed Foundation.  All money that the Ed Foundation--all money goes right back into the classrooms.

We are going on a field trip!  Fourth graders are going to Historic Brattonsville on November 30th.  Permission forms were sent home several weeks ago with your child.  The cost is $35.  Money and permission forms (both sides completed) are due no later than November 16th.  If you would like to chaperone, it is $35 per chaperone if you ride the bus or $12 per chaperone if you want to drive and follow the bus.  We are only able to take 2 chaperones per class on the bus but can gladly have more that follow us there.  

We are excited to be able to have this wonderful opportunity for our students to learn more about life on a plantation and our country’s history that took place right here in SC.  Please note:  Your child will need to have transportation to school that morning because we will leave before all buses have arrived.  We will be back in time for regular dismissal.

Please send in any spare change that you may have!  Penny Wars is going on until November 18th.  Please see the post on the blog about this fundraising event.

Next week is our annual Carolina/Clemson Canned Food Drive.  Any donations of non-perishable food are appreciated!

Donuts for Dads will be held on Tuesday, November 22nd at 8:00am.  

No school on November 23-25 due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

Ending Thoughts

We are very excited for this school year and to be able to teach your child.  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--November 4th

Benson/Cave News

News from the 4th Grade

November 4, 2016

Math News

We have ended our Measurement unit and we are now learning how to multiply multi-digit numbers.  We will be learning a variety of methods to multiply--not just the standard algorithm that we all learned growing up.  Please be open to the variety of methods and try some of them with your students.  New checklists were shared in class on Thursday and students have started work completing the items.  We are planning on finishing this unit up by the Tuesday before Thanksgiving break and testing before our long holiday break.  Students will need to make sure they are using their time wisely and completing all required elements of the checklist.

IMPORTANT MATH NEWS***Starting next week, students will be given a grade in ALEKS each week.  They should be logging into ALEKS a minimum of 2-30 minute periods of time during the week at school.  This is plenty of time for them to master topics.  They can and should access ALEKS at home.  All students should master at least 5 topics per week starting next week.  I will be printing a report each Monday morning so that any work they do over the weekend will be counted for the previous week.  Therefore, if they have not mastered their topics by the time they leave school on Friday, they should log in at home over the weekend to make sure their 5 topics are mastered.  The number of topics will increase as the year progresses.

Science News

We will begin our new unit on Space next week.  This is Chapter 3 in the science textbook.  We look forward to exploring the planets, the moon, the sun, the stars, and why we have day and night and seasons.  One big part of this unit is a moon observation calendar.  Students will need to observe the moon each night for four weeks.  We will start this in a couple of weeks.

Language Arts News.  

Next Week in ELA students will read “Because of Winn Dixie” in Treasures to analyze the impact of characterization and conflict on the story’s plot.  There will be quiz on this story on Thursday.

Students are also working on writing skills with a focus on editing their piece of writing.  Students have many opportunities to practice writing skills whether they are completing an response to a question in reading or social studies.  Students are also writing in their online writing  journal.   Some students are still have difficulty writing responses with a topic sentence and supporting details.  This writing expectation(topic sentence and supportive details)  will continue for to be an expectation for the remainder of 4th grade.  

Social Studies News

This week in social studies we studied Early English settlements such as Roanoke, Jamestown and Plymouth. Students also learned about  the Puritans and the New England Colonies.  Next week we study the Middle Colonies, Southern Colonies,  and take a virtual trip to Colonial Williamsburg.  Students are expected to take follow directions and take notes in their workbooks in class.  There will be a lesson review at the end of each lesson that will count as a classwork grade.

Fourth Grade News

Make-up Pictures will be on Monday, November 7th.  If you want your child to take pictures that day, please send in a note.  

Tuesday, November 8th is Election day.  Election day = No School

BHE is having our annual Veterans Day program on Friday, November 11th.  We look forward to seeing many of you at this program.

The BHE Educational Foundation is hosting a Spaghetti Dinner on Thursday, November 17th.  Tickets can be purchased in advance.  A flyer was sent home last week with the information you need.  Please help support our Ed Foundation--all money goes right back into the classrooms.

We are going on a field trip!  Fourth graders are going to Historic Brattonsville on November 30th.  Permission forms were sent home this week with your child.  The cost is $35.  Money and permission forms (both sides completed) are due no later than November 16th.  If you would like to chaperone, it is $35 per chaperone if you ride the bus or $12 per chaperone if you want to drive and follow the bus.  We are only able to take 2 chaperones per class on the bus but can gladly have more that follow us there.  

We are excited to be able to have this wonderful opportunity for our students to learn more about life on a plantation and our country’s history that took place right here in SC.  Please note:  Your child will need to have transportation to school that morning because we will leave before all buses have arrived.  We will be back in time for regular dismissal.

Penny Wars is going on until November 18th.  Please see the post on the blog about this fundraising event.

Donuts for Dads will be held on Tuesday, November 22nd at 8:00am.  

No school on November 23-25 due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

Ending Thoughts

We are very excited for this school year and to be able to teach your child.  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

Penny Wars