Teacher's note October 29, 2012

The kids sure looked cute marching in the Literacy Parade Friday morning.  It was a wonderful conclusion to our spirit week!

I was extremely pleased with the results of our multiplication and division unit test. The graded test will be in Monday's Dragon Folder for you to review.  Next we will master customary and metric linear measurement.  I hope you let the students use a measuring tape or yardstick to practice measuring items at home. Then we will study polygons and angles.  I think the kids will enjoy learning the topics in this unit.

As we read How to Babysit an Orangutan we will work on understanding text structure and summarizing.  The kids will not be asked to write a persuasive essay this week, but will write a summary of How to Babysit an Orangutan. 

I have relatives from Germany that have arrived to spend ten days with our family.  Monday and Tuesday I will be spending time with my family and will not be in the building.  The kids will have a wonderful substitute and the learning will continue.  I plan on returning to work on Wednesday.  I will still be checking my email on the days I will not be at school.

Take care,
Mrs. Figueroa

Homework week of October 29, 2012

Monday - spelling 39 & 41, math 3 & 4 and reading log
Tuesday - vocabulary 42 & 43, math 5 & 6 and reading log
Wednesday - reading skills 11 & 12, math 9 & 10 and reading log
Thursday - study spelling words, math 13 & 14 and reading log
Friday - Have a wonderful weekend!

Spelling list : How to Babysit an Orangutan

1.  ground
2.  frown
3.  downtown
4.  bounced
5.  council
6.  about
7.  scout
8.  counter
9.  background
10.  amount
11.  bound
12.  shower
13.  mountain
14.  county
15.  thousand
16.  allowance
17.  counselor
18.  discount
19.  countless
20.  rebound

Bonus words
displeasure
jealous
endangered
smuggled
facial
coordination

Teacher's note October 22, 2012

This week student council has planned exciting spirit days!  I certainly hope the kids participate.  Here is a quick schedule to help with planning:
Monday - Jersey Day
Tuesday - Twin Day
Wednesday - Pajama Day
Thursday - Braids,  Shades and colors - 4th grade wears blue
Friday - Literacy Parade

In case you do not know, the Literacy Parade is a huge tradition at Soleng Tom.  The kids dress up as a character from a book and march all around the school holding their book and wearing their costume.  The kids are absolutely darling and parents can watch the parade if they wish.  The parade will begin at 9:00 and be over by about 10.  Students will need to change into clothes that will  not distract from learning for the remainder of the day. 

Our persuasive essay for the week is Should the school day be longer?  I think the kids will have strong feelings and plenty of ideas about the subject. Thank you for  help editing and revising the paragraphs. 

I plan to administer the multiplication and division unit assessment on Thursday.  I hope the kids do very well! Friday we will review the test together and the students will know their results.  You are welcome to ask your son or daughter how they performed on the test. 

We started our electricity unit last Friday - the kids were very excited!  I think it is safe to predict the class is going to love the electricity unit!  We have great investigations and items to create during this unit. 

I send my best wishes to all of you. 

Warmly,
Mrs.Figueroa
 

Homework week of October 22

Monday - spelling 36, math 55 & 56 and reading log
Tuesday - vocabulary 38 & 39, math 59 & 60 and reading log
Wednesday - reading skills 9 & 10, math 63 & 64 and reading log
Thursday - study spelling words, finish persuasive essay Should the school day be longer?, math 65 & 66 and reading log
Friday - Enjoy your weekend!

Spelling List: The Garden of Happiness

1.  curve
2.  learned
3.  curly
4.  pearl
5.  purse
6.  further
7.  turtle
8.  urgent
9.  burning
10.  hurried
11.  earth
12.  earned
13.  purpose
14.  surface
15.  overheard
16.  rehearse
17.  current
18.  disturb
19.  furniture
20.  research

Bonus words
inhaled
lavender
mural
skidded
haze

Teacher's note October 15, 2012

I believe our technology day was a huge success!  The students were very engaged in their devices and showing friends.  We tried to take excellent care of the electronics and hopefully they arrived home safely. 

Tuesday at 8:45 will be our first Strive for Excellence Assembly.  Each quarter about eight of our students will receive a life skill award.  You received an invitation in the Progress Report envelope if your son or daughter is receiving an award this quarter.  The kids being recognized love to have their family members attend the assembly.  Each student will receive one certificate this school year.  I look forward to seeing the parents at the first quarter Strive for Excellence Assembly. 

Wednesday morning we have a special presentation from Tucson Water titled Our Water, Our Future.
It is a very educational and entertaining presentation to demonstrate what has occurred in the Tucson area.  Methods of water conservation will also be discussed.  The fourth grade teachers love this presentation and schedule it each year during our Changing Earth science kit. 

We will continue to work on our persuasive writing Should people be allowed to keep exotic animals as pets?  Last week we gathered  information and discussed the organization of persuasive writing.  The kids will start writing ideas in an organizer on Monday and the final copy will be due on Friday.  Any incomplete persuasive essays will be homework on Thursday.  Your son or daughter may ask for your help editing. 

I hope the kids know how to use two strategies to solve division problems, use multiplication and go with what you know.  We definitely want to encourage the use of equations and strategies other than drawing equal groups as the numbers get larger.  I want to see the work and not just an answer. 

Friday the kids get to conduct their first electricity investigation.  Based on past experience, I think the kids will love the electricity unit. 

Take care,
Mrs. Figueroa

Homework week of October 17, 2012

Monday - spelling 33, finish math 33 - 35 and reading log
Tuesday - vocabulary 33 & 34, math 36 and reading log
Wednesday - reading skills 7 & 8, math 39 & 40 and reading log
Thursday - finish Should people have exotic animals as pets?, study spelling, math 44-46 and reading log
Friday - Have a wonderful weekend!

Spelling list: Night of the Pufflings

1.  cared
2.  dairy
3.  unfair
4.  rarely
5.  stared
6.  dared
7.  glare
8.  airplanes
9.  barely
10.  farewell
11.  software
12.  staircase
13.  everywhere
14.  declare
15.  square
16.  therefore
17.  despair
18.  prepared
19.  beware
20.  repair

Bonus words
uninhabited
burrows
venture
stranded
nestles
instinctively

Teacher's Note - class technology day Friday,October 12

Our class has earned 25 points and selected a technology day as a reward.  Mr. Dotson has given us permission to bring technology to school on Friday, October 12 if the student has parent permission.  Please determine with your son or daughter whether or not they will be allowed to bring an electronic device from home.  Students with out their own tool will use the class computers or buddy with a friend. We will use them for about 60 - 90 minutes on Friday morning and then they will be put away for the remainder of the day.  I will be diligent to encourage all the students to treat the technology tools with  care.  In my next teacher's note I will let you know how well our technology day went. 

Teacher's note October 8, 2012

Welcome back to the second quarter!  No doubt it will be full of exciting learning opportunities.

The first quarter progress reports will be distributed in Monday's Dragon Folder.  Please remove all of the papers  from the envelope, sign the back and return an empty envelope to me on Tuesday.  If you want clarification or explanation regarding the progress report, please write me a note or send an email and I will respond back as soon as possible. 

We will identify narrative elements as we read The Emperor and The Kite.  Our normal routine of spelling and vocabulary words will be resumed.  Persuasive writing will be the genre that will be focused on second quarter.  The first prompt will be should people be allowed to keep wild animals as pets?  The students will be expected to write multiple paragraphs and elaborate on reasons. It is usually entertaining to read the persuasive writing that is produced. 

The math goals for the week is to have the students know two division strategies and be able to write a division story problem.  We will use multiplication to solve division and a strategy called go with what you know.  Thursday evening the students should be able to model the strategies for you. I appreciate your help reviewing the math homework with your son or daughter. 

We have plenty of science to complete this week before we need to return The Changing Earth unit.  The kids will love learning about volcanoes, earth quakes and changes people make to the earth - good or bad.  Monday the  students will use a boiled egg to model plate movements and changes to the earth.  I believe it is an excellent investigation for the kids to conduct. 

Once again, welcome back to what I hope is an excellent quarter. 

Warmly,
Mrs. Figueroa

Homework week of October 8, 2012

Monday - spelling 30 & 32, math page 15 and reading log
Tuesday - vocabulary 29 & 30, math 18 & 19, and reading log
Wednesday - coordinate grids, math 23 & 24 and reading log
Thursday - study spelling words, math 27 & 28 and reading log
Friday - Have an enjoyable weekend! 

Spelling List: The Emperor and The Kite

1.  pour
2.  orbit
3.  fourth
4.  source
5.  sports
6.  forward
7.  force
8.  order
9.  wore
10.  yourself
11.  support
12.  sore
13.  orange
14.  anymore
15.  ignore
16.  portrait
17.  border
18.  course
19.  tornado
20.  your

Bonus words
insignificant
plotting
twined
steely
encircling
loyal
neglected
unyielding