The Last Week of September

Fall is definitely upon us: crisp weather, changing leaves, and Bears games. Here is a look at what is ahead of us as we enjoy the last days of September:

Our reading theme this week is space. We will use fiction and nonfiction to help us talk about space missions, astronauts, and planets. The children will review how to use diagrams to help our understanding when reading nonfiction. In our fiction story, we will take a closer look at the main characters and discuss what actions determine character traits.

In spelling, our lists will deal with words that have the long "i" sound. This can be made with "i_e", "i" or "y" spellings.

In grammar, the kids will work with complex sentences. We will work with independent and dependent clauses. We will also discuss using connecting words such as: before, when, or because.

We begin Unit 2 in our Writer's Express program. While our last unit discussed focusing our writing, this unit will discuss SHOWING in our writing. Showing is the skill of using precise observations, descriptive details, and expressive language to communicate emotion, evoke an image, and present evidence. Showing skills enable writers to engage the reader by selecting details that convey an experience in a precise, authentic way. Students will learn how to distinguish between telling the reader what is happening and showing the reader. For example, instead of saying, "I was cold," the writer could show the reader, "I shivered and zipped up my coat." When students include specific details instead of making general statements, they allow the readers to experience situations from the writer's distinct perspective.

In math, we will spend 2 days working with data. We will focus on finding the median and mean of a set of data. We will also work with representing data on line and number graphs. The kids will also have some lessons to review multi-digit addition and subtraction problems. We will review both the partial sum/difference methods and column addition/subtraction.

After the kids take their test over volcanoes on Monday, we will focus on Mount St. Helens and the healing of volcanoes. We will talk about the good and bad that comes from eruptions. We will also explore warning signs and how scientists try to predict eruptions.

In Chinese, the kids learned that although Chinese words may sound the same, the pronunciation of the word will determine the meaning. We need to pay careful attention when speaking so that we convey the correct message to our listeners. The kids worked on counting numbers 1-10, and picked their own Chinese name. They're having a great time learning the new language! The Chinese teachers have set up a website that will tell you more about the curriculum your child is learning and allows the kids to listen to pronunciation of words. Be sure to check it out under our Education Websites section of the blog!

Did you know that your child can look up how many books he/she has checked out in the library? It's easy! Just visit the LMC site (the website is under the Educational Websites of our classroom blog), and have your child click on Alexandria. From there, click on Patron log-in. Your child's login is his/her server number and the password is your last name (in all lowercase). Look for Patron Detail and you'll be checking out your library status in no time!

Mrs. Opitz has scheduled the show times for the 4th grade performances: Tuesday, October 26th at 2:00 and Wednesday, October 27th at 2:00.

We look forward to learning more about our MVP of the Week, Lorie!

Thanks to Cailin, who did a great job last week sharing with us!

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please let me know. Have a great week!