Weekly News--October 6th

Benson/Bodrick News

News from the 4th Grade

October 6, 2017

Math News

We took our Unit 2--Addition and Subtraction Test this past Tuesday and I was very happy with the results.  These grades were sent home Thursday and were updated in Parent Portal Tuesday night.  

We jumped right into Unit 3--Multiplication and Division on Wednesday.  I am very happy to say that many students have been working very hard to complete their checklist.  Students should be through Objective 1 on their checklist by Monday morning when they come to school.  If they are finished when they leave today, I will have their grade in the gradebook.  If you do not see a grade for Unit 3 Objective 1 in Parent Portal, please encourage your child to complete their work by Monday morning so they are ready to move ahead in class.  If the only thing they are missing is the Quick Check, please have them do this at school--not home.  They can do it in Homeroom on Monday morning.

In this new unit, we will be discussing how multiplication and division work together.  We will also learn about factors, multiples, prime, and composite numbers.  We will finish the unit out with some patterning activities.  Tentatively, we will take a test the week of October 16th.  I would love to have it done before the 3 day weekend coming up this month.  I will keep you updated as we move along.

If you still need to join Seesaw, please click here and follow the directions.

ALEKS topics earned were entered into the gradebook this past week.  Students are asked to master at least 5 ALEKS topics a week.  Students who mastered more than 10 for the 2 week period received extra credit--up to 20 points.  Please encourage your child to work on ALEKS when given time at school and also at home.  ALEKS is a great program that will help boost their math scores.

Homework packets will be given out on Monday next week and will be due--completed-- by Friday.  Please remind your child to write his/her name on the packet before turning it in.

Science News

This past week we discussed severe weather.  We are focusing on thunderstorms, hurricanes, and tornadoes.  Students were given a packet with information on their upcoming “Wild Weather” reports project.  This will count as 2 project grades.  Click here for a copy of the information that includes due dates.  Once we finish these projects, students will upload their video and a picture of their report into Seesaw for their classmates and their families to enjoy.  We will dedicate class time next week to work on our research, however students may need to spend a little bit of time at home to complete their project.

ELA News

This week we completed Kate DiCamillo’s Because of Winn Dixie. Students were ecstatic about it and couldn’t wait to see how it ended. Now that we are finished, throughout the week next week, your child will begin working on culminating projects (both in class and at home) before taking the final test and viewing the movie (YAY)! Projects will be chosen by students and the Choice Board will be placed in Google Classroom. Some projects require the usage of technology (Chromes & Ipads).

What you can do at home to help your child be successful:

• Discuss What Your Child is Reading and help them complete weekly Reading Logs which are due each Friday - there is a space for parent signature which lets me know you’re checking
• Find Reasons to Write outside of the Classroom
• Play Educational Games/Watch Educational Videos - LEXIA can be used at home

Social Studies News

Next Week’s Indicator 4-1.2 Compare the everyday life, physical environment, and culture of the major Native American cultural groupings, including the Eastern Woodlands, the Plains, the Southwest, the Great Basin, and the Pacific Northwest. (CONTINUED)

Because there is a lot of information students have to know about the Native American cultural regions, each group will be discussed one at a time. I will spend at least two days on each group (five total) and after we have covered them all, I will send the presentation. I don’t want to overwhelm you, and especially your child, with that now. Note pages are being provided each time a new region is introduced, so remember to have those conversations about what we are learning to keep the info fresh!

Remember:

• Students can access Google Classroom at home. All presentations and special links are posted there as references. Students may use these references when studying and completing weekly RAP questions. Some links are interactive games and videos!
• RAP Questions are assigned every Thursday and it is highly encouraged that students use notes to complete. Social Studies journals will come home on Thursday.
• A parent study guide has been issued for your personal use (so you can help your child if for some reason they are missing information or you aren’t exactly abreast on your history!)

Fourth Grade News

The Related Arts Schedule is as Follows:

Day A - Art (Benson) / P.E. (Bodrick)

Day B - Computer (Benson) / Art (Bodrick)

Day C - Drama (Benson) / Computer (Bodrick)

Day D - Music(Benson) / Drama (Bodrick)

Day E - P.E. (Benson) / Music (Bodrick)

BHE Night @ Blaze Pizza 5-8pm.  Click here for a flyer with the information.

The Spirit Store will be open next Friday morning from 7:30-8:00am.  This is where students can bring money from home and purchase BHE spirit attire.  They also have some fun items to purchase.  It is in the cafeteria.

The Book Fair will be here from October 16-19th.

Ending Thoughts

Thank you for sharing your children with us!  Please feel free to email us with any questions.  For those who signed up for Remind 101 with Ms. Bodrick, feel free to shoot a text if necessary.  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. Aubrianna Bodrick

BHE Night at Blaze Pizza

Weekly News--September 29th

Benson/Bodrick News

News from the 4th Grade

September 29, 2017

Math News

We have had a great week adding and subtracting multi-digit numbers.  Students have worked very hard and completing work in class.  We are planning on taking the unit test for Addition and Subtraction on Tuesday.  There will not be a study guide, but students will be given a few examples of word problems they might be asked to solve on Monday.  If students were not through Objective 2 by the end of class today, they need to work on those assignments on the weekend so that Monday they can finish the checklist off with Objective 3 problems.  

I have added an Anchor Chart post in Google Classroom. I will continue to update this as we learn some different strategies in math. Students can reference this any time they need to review a strategy.

If you still need to join Seesaw, please click here and follow the directions.

Homework packets will be given out on Monday next week and will be due--completed-- by Friday.  Please remind your child to write his/her name on the packet before turning it in.

Science News

This past week we studied the clouds and precipitation.  We watched videos, read our textbook, viewed powerpoint presentations with pictures of clouds, and had great class discussions on these topics.  We took a quiz today and grades should be uploaded by the end of the day to Power School.  

One thing I have observed is that as much as we discussed clouds and precipitation, some students still did not do as well on the quiz as I thought they should.  I think it might be that they are not studying throughout the week.  Some are rushing to finish first while others are simply not reading the questions and directions.   Although homework is not assigned each night in Science, students should still be reviewing what we discuss in class often.  I have uploaded visuals, videos, and information on Google Classroom.  They can access this anytime and use as study aides.  Please encourage them to think about science more than just the 30 minutes of class each day.  Perhaps have them check out books at the public library on the subject we are learning about and they can read them and even use them for their reading logs for Ms. Bodrick.

ELA News

This week plans changed! Because of student enthusiasm about my read alouds of chapters from the full book “Because of Winn-Dixie”, I decided to conduct a full novel study and complete the entire book as we continue to focus on literary text and reading skills good reader use (they are so excited)! At this point, we are about midway through the book. Next week, we will continue to read and here’s what we will do:

• Analyze Characters and Point out Character Traits
• Understand Imagery and Symbolism
• Zoom in on Vocabulary
• Begin Writing Narratives
• Answer Comprehension Questions at the End of Each Chapter  

What you can do at home to help your child be successful:

• Discuss What Your Child is Reading and help them complete weekly Reading Logs which are due each Friday - there is a space for parent signature which lets me know you’re checking
• Find Reasons to Write outside of the Classroom
• Play Educational Games/Watch Educational Videos - LEXIA can be used at home

Social Studies News

Next Week’s Indicator 4-1.2 Compare the everyday life, physical environment, and culture of the major Native American cultural groupings, including the Eastern Woodlands, the Plains, the Southwest, the Great Basin, and the Pacific Northwest.

Because there is a lot of information students have to know about the Native American cultural regions, each group will be discussed one at a time. I will spend at least two days on each group (five total) and after we have covered them all, I will send the presentation. I don’t want to overwhelm you, and especially your child, with that now. Note pages are being provided each time a new region is introduced, so remember to have those conversations about what we are learning to keep the info fresh!

Remember:

• Students can access Google Classroom at home. All presentations and special links are posted there as references. Students may use these references when studying and completing weekly RAP questions. Some links are interactive games and videos!
• RAP Questions are assigned every Thursday and it is highly encouraged that students use notes to complete. Social Studies journals will come home on Thursday.
• A parent study guide has been issued for your personal use (so you can help your child if for some reason they are missing information or you aren’t exactly abreast on your history!)

Fourth Grade News

The Related Arts Schedule is as Follows:

Day A - Art (Benson) / P.E. (Bodrick)

Day B - Computer (Benson) / Art (Bodrick)

Day C - Drama (Benson) / Computer (Bodrick)

Day D - Music(Benson) / Drama (Bodrick)

Day E - P.E. (Benson) / Music (Bodrick)

We have the authors of the book Just a Chicken coming to BHE next week.  Please click here for the flyer with more information on how your child can get an autographed copy of the book.

BHE Night @ Blaze Pizza 5-8pm

The Book Fair that was originally scheduled for next week has been rescheduled to the middle of October (October 16-19th).

Ending Thoughts

Thank you for sharing your children with us!  Please feel free to email us with any questions.  For those who signed up for Remind 101 with Ms. Bodrick, feel free to shoot a text if necessary.  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. Aubrianna Bodrick

Join Seesaw

Don’t forget to join Seesaw:

Ms. Bodrick’s homeroom will need to use this link:  https://app.seesaw.me/s/500-822-733

Mrs. Benson’s homeroom will need to use this link:  https://app.seesaw.me/s/316-243-151

Once you have clicked on the correct link above, please follow these steps.

1. Choose your child from the list
2. Create your account
3. Once I approve you, you can see content from your child

After you sign up, download the free Seesaw Family app and sign in. You can also access Seesaw from a computer at https://app.seesaw.me.

Just a Chicken author visit at BHE

Box Tops, Tyson Labels, and Labels for Education (Oh My!)

Weekly News--September 22nd

Benson/Bodrick News

News from the 4th Grade

September 22, 2017

Math News

We finished Unit 1 today with our Rounding test.  Both Part One and today’s test will be sent home next week for you to see how your child scored.  We will begin our next unit--Addition and Subtraction on Monday.  We will be adding and subtracting large numbers--up to the hundred thousands.  We will also be subtracting across zeroes.  Many strategies will be taught and discussed to help students have success with such large numbers.  I have warned the students that we will move quickly with this information.  We should be ready to take a unit test by Tuesday, October 3rd.  If students are having trouble keeping up in class, they are always welcome to work at home.  All checklists are in Google classroom and students can access them from any computer.

Don’t forget to join Seesaw:

Ms. Bodrick’s homeroom will need to use this link:  https://app.seesaw.me/s/500-822-733

Mrs. Benson’s homeroom will need to use this link:  https://app.seesaw.me/s/316-243-151

Once you have clicked on the correct link above, please follow these steps.

1. Choose your child from the list
2. Create your account
3. Once I approve you, you can see content from your child

After you sign up, download the free Seesaw Family app and sign in. You can also access Seesaw from a computer at https://app.seesaw.me.

Homework packets will be given out on Monday next week and will be due--completed-- by Friday.  Please remind your child to write his/her name on the packet before turning it in.

Science News

This week we talked about predicting weather and what is used to measure weather.  We ended the week practicing our skills at reading a weather map.  We completed some activities in Pearson Realize (the online component to our Science books).  If you notice that there is a late or missing comment in Parent Portal, your child did not complete their activity and turn it in on time.  They may still complete them with a point reduction taken when they turn it in.  

Next week we will move on to lesson 3--clouds and precipitation.  We will review the water cycle again and connect it with our clouds.  

ELA News

This week plans changed! Because of student enthusiasm about my read alouds of chapters from the full book “Because of Winn-Dixie”, I decided to conduct a full novel study and complete the entire book as we continue to focus on literary text and reading skills good reader use (they are so excited)! At this point, we are about midway through the book. Next week, we will continue to read and here’s what we will do:

• Analyze Characters and Point out Character Traits
• Understand Imagery and Symbolism
• Zoom in on Vocabulary
• Begin Writing Narratives
• Answer Comprehension Questions at the End of Each Chapter  

What you can do at home to help your child be successful:

• Discuss What Your Child is Reading and help them complete weekly Reading Logs which are due each Friday - there is a space for parent signature which lets me know you’re checking
• Find Reasons to Write outside of the Classroom
• Play Educational Games/Watch Educational Videos - LEXIA can be used at home

Social Studies News

Next Week’s Indicator 4-1.2 Compare the everyday life, physical environment, and culture of the major Native American cultural groupings, including the Eastern Woodlands, the Plains, the Southwest, the Great Basin, and the Pacific Northwest.

Because there is a lot of information students have to know about the Native American cultural regions, each group will be discussed one at a time. I will spend at least two days on each group (five total) and after we have covered them all, I will send the presentation. I don’t want to overwhelm you, and especially your child, with that now. Note pages are being provided each time a new region is introduced, so remember to have those conversations about what we are learning to keep the info fresh!

Remember:

• Students can access Google Classroom at home. All presentations and special links are posted there as references. Students may use these references when studying and completing weekly RAP questions. Some links are interactive games and videos!
• RAP Questions are assigned every Thursday and it is highly encouraged that students use notes to complete. Social Studies journals will come home on Thursday.
• A parent study guide has been issued for your personal use (so you can help your child if for some reason they are missing information or you aren’t exactly abreast on your history!)

Fourth Grade News

The Related Arts Schedule is as Follows:

Day A - Art (Benson) / P.E. (Bodrick)

Day B - Computer (Benson) / Art (Bodrick)

Day C - Drama (Benson) / Computer (Bodrick)

Day D - Music(Benson) / Drama (Bodrick)

Day E - P.E. (Benson) / Music (Bodrick)

Coins for the United Way--We are raising money for the United Way.  Students can bring in any loose change or bills that they can.  The class that collects the most money school-wide will get a pizza party.  The grade-level winner will have a popcorn party.  We love popcorn and pizza!  

Also, next Thursday, September 28th is Crazy Hat Day.  Students may pay $1 and wear a hat all day long.  We hope to see some fun hats for a great cause.

Friday, September 29th is an early dismissal day.  Dismissal starts at 11:30am.  If your child is going home a different way than normal, please send a note or email.

Friday, September 29th is also Spirit Day.  Please wear your favorite BHE attire so that we can win the Spirit Flag.

The Book Fair that was originally scheduled for next week has been rescheduled to the middle of October (October 16-19th).

Ending Thoughts

Thank you for sharing your children with us!  Please feel free to email us with any questions.  For those who signed up for Remind 101 with Ms. Bodrick, feel free to shoot a text if necessary.  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. Aubrianna Bodrick