Newsletter April 15, 2011
Math – We start our new unit today which is reflection, symmetry, and negative numbers. The students did wonderfully on the math tests, which should be sent home today or Monday. This unit is also a very short unit so the test will be within the next week or two.
Science – Presentations of projects starts on Monday. We plan to start Sun, Moon, and Stars within the next week or so. No volunteers needed.
Social Studies – Lumberjacks have started and you have to love when students beg you to get going on a unit. We have also discussed the Cold War and segregation through reading non-fiction texts.
Reading – We wrap up The Little Mermaid today but continue reading fairy tales, we are now delving into the tales with tests in them. The students are discussing the roles of males and females in these stories and coming up with some observations (women = evil or weak, men = weak or the handsome prince that conquers).
Writing – The students revised their book reviews after our 6th grade buddies gave us constructive feedback on them. Today’s op.ed. discussion centered around what do students do well at and will be posted later on our blog. We brainstorm our fairy tales next week.
Special Notes –
* Wow, another incredible week has gone by. I cannot express how grateful I am for having this incredible bunch of students. The kindness and eagerness shown in here is astounding.
* Thank you to all who donated to our care package to NYC, their teacher received the package yesterday and was blown away by it all.
* Thank you from the bottom of all of our hearts to all the parents that joined us at the Engineering Expo. Not only was it a great field trip, but the kids were also on their best behavior. I am so proud of them.
* We will be watching The Little Mermaid next Friday so we can compare the original tale to the Disney version. Students may bring in a sleeping bag and a pillow.
* Global Connections: Our 6th grade buddies in Merton, Wisconsin, left their first feedback for us on our kidblog. The students did a great job praising and highlighting weaknesses in the writing, I even ran into their teacher at the Engineering Expo. The class in NYC sent us their video which we watched. Their school has 5 stories, more than 2,000 students and a view of Manhattan! In 2 weeks will skype with them. I am working on a skype opportunity with a class in Brazil to discuss cultural differences as well.
* Innovation Day is coming! On May 9th, students will get a whole day to do whatever project they choose. Some students are researching and building models, others are thinking of making movies, whatever they would like to learn more about. Planning sheets were sent home yesterday and are due to me next Friday. This day promises to be another fantastic learning opportunity for these amazing 4th graders.
* Placement forms for next year are available, let me know if you have any concerns or questions.
