* Ivy Hill Kids reach for the stars...not drugs. See the Red Ribbon Week schedule to the left for how your child can participate in the activities this week.
* Our 4th grade show is this Friday. Show times are at 9:45 and 2:15 ***Doors open 15 minutes before show time***
* Madelyn is our MVP of the week!
* Our spelling lists contain consonant cluster patterns such as: shr, thr, spr, scr, str, and spl. I know there have been some website problems with Spelling City. I sent out an email last week with a link to help troubleshoot for problems (Thank you, Mrs. Clark!). The website is also making changes to make it more user friendly. The kids will continue to have some activities to do during this week to help practice the list. If there are problems with the site, please just have your child let me know, and have him/her practice words at home some other way. It sounds like last week the site was working in the beginning of the week and also at the end. Hopefully this week will be better for everyone!
* We will work with singular and plural nouns in grammar. The kids will be expected to identify the nouns and also form the plurals with correct spelling.
* In writing, we will begin to write a final narrative piece. This will be a natural progression from the journal writing we have been doing. The journal writing has helped students develop a single moment, create vivid description, and use precise language. This week, the kids will pick one event or situation that he/she has personally experienced. They will use this journal entry as a first draft to develop into an essay. Throughout the process, the kids will revise to add more details, practice writing interesting introductions, and write their final draft.
* In reading, we will begin to work more with vocabulary. The kids will work with one vocabulary word each day. We will work throughout the week to listen for, look for, and use the vocabulary word in our everyday lives. We will also continue to work with the questioning strategy. The kids are getting comfortable asking thick questions to help their comprehension, as well as, extending their thinking about characters and connections. This is the last week we will focus on the mystery genre. All book reports for the month should be recorded by Monday!
* The kids worked hard to complete their Mount St. Helen projects and to study for their last volcano test. We will now switch gears to social studies. The kids will be introduced to the History Alive! text and student notebook. Our first chapter will give an overview of the geography of the United States. The kids will work with the 4 hemispheres, compass rose, continents, and oceans. They will also learn how to use latitude and longitude lines. Eventually, the kids will work with identifying geographic features such as: bay, peninsula, rivers, etc.
* In math the kids continue to work with their multiplication and division facts. We will take Mad Minute tests this week on Tuesday and Thursday. A letter was sent home on Friday about a website the kids can use to practice their math skills. Ixl.com is a wonderful math resource. I'm asking that the kids attempt some of the activities at least 3 times this week. I will send home a list of skills the kids can practice and how they can keep track of their progress. This week Unit 3 in math will have us work with solving word problems. The kids will practice writing number models using a variable for the unknown number they are solving for. We will also work with true or false number sentences, using parentheses, and open sentences in math.
* A letter about Halloween will come home later this week. Our parade and party will be on Monday, October 31st in the afternoon. I will send home a note about any food items that will be at our party later in the week. If you have any questions or concerns about it, please don't hesitate to contact me.
* I hope you all have a great start to the week!
