Dear 4A Families,
I hope you enjoyed the beautiful fall weekend. While we hopefully will have lots more sunny, warm days, the weather can be unpredictable. Students should always bring a raincoat (preferably with a hood) for recess if rain is in the forecast. We do live in Seattle and drizzle happens! Also, if you have not done so already, all sweatshirts and coats should be labeled with your child’s name. Now that the weather is cooler, all students need to wear a red Holy Rosary sweatshirt, sweater or vest every Wednesday for Mass. Thank you!
Pike Place Market: Check your child’s filer on Monday for a permission slip to the December 3rd field trip to Pike Place Market. Please sign and return by October 15th. Thank you!
Our fall MAP test continues this week with language arts. I am proud of the hard work and attention the students did on the math portion of the MAP test last week.
This Thursday we will have the final Magazine Assembly to announce the results of the sale! Thank you all again for your generous support of this important fundraiser.
Social Studies: The students had practice looking up locations using latitude and longitude coordinates for locations in the United States. This week we will also find locations on a world map using coordinates. Looking ahead, we will have a test on latitude, longitude and map skills on Thursday, October 17th. A good portion of the test cannot be reviewed at home as we will use maps at school, but all of the students will have study sheets for the specific vocabulary and concepts they need to know for the test in their filers next Tuesday. We will also be starting our review of the locations of the 50 states with the NE region. All students will have a study sheet in their filer on Tuesday. The NE States test will take place on October 24th.
Science: This week in science, we will continue to use Leif’s story to guide us into the world of mechanical engineering! Our journey will bring us to an analysis of different machines. Students will study the machines (an egg beater and can opener, to name a few) to determine where the energy must be put into the machine (the cause) and the work that is a result of that energy (the effect). All of this is in preparation for becoming mechanical engineers and building our own machines: windmills!
Math: Look for some math homework most nights this week. We are wrapping up our chapter on addition and subtraction of large numbers. The homework this week should be checked over with parents to assure accurate computation. We are working towards “precision” with math computation, which means reading questions carefully, and double checking work as needed. Most of the errors on classwork have been with basic computation. Students should always properly label answers to story problems. For instance, if a problem asks, “How many more children liked Skittles than Starbursts?” , their answer should look like: 354 more children liked Skittles. When answers to story problems are correctly labeled it shows that the problem is clearly understood. Students are encouraged to underline important information in story problems to focus their reading.
Wednesday math homework will be a test review. This review will be very similar to the chapter test the students will take at school this Thursday. I am giving two nights so that you can take time to go over the worksheet with your children. We will also be doing a full test review at school. Please take time to go over the homework with your children.
Reading: This week the students will be working through a creative writing assignment based on a scene from Charlotte’s Web. The students will use E.B. White’s detailed descriptions as a model for their own writing in describing the barn using their senses, and interesting word choice to describe an event from the chapter. Do you want to be impressed?! Ask your child to talk about these vocabulary words from chapters 1-4: blissful, runt, injustice, manure, enchanted, perspiration, reconsider, stealthily, and dejected.
Spelling: The words for Lesson 4, short and long o. are in your child’s filer. The test this week will be on Thursday!
Religion: The students got a good start on their rough drafts of their saint reports last week. As we work through this project the students will be learning and practicing the Traits of Good Writing. We will be working on these special reports for the next several weeks. Your child will show you his or her report during their conference in November. Mrs. Helling will be working on special saint portraits with the students in upcoming art classes that will become a part of the November bulletin board in the main hallway of the school. It is a good time to start thinking about the saint costume your child will wear for the All Saint’s Day Mass on November 1st. The costumes do not have to be fancy. In the past students have used sheets, bathrobes, Halloween capes, graduation gowns, etc. It is amazing what a bit of material can do! Past students are also great resources for costumes. I have posted some past pictures of the students in costumes for you to get ideas. If you have any questions please let me know! Thank you for continuing to practice the Prayer of St. Francis at home regularly.
Spelling: I sent home the spelling list for Lesson 4, short and long o. Spelling lists were passed out last Friday.
Homework Overview:
- Look for math homework Monday, Tuesday Wednesday.
- Spelling test on Thursday, math test on Thursday.
- Continue to practice the Prayer of St. Francis.
- Visit Xtramath at least three times during the week.
- Read in a book of choice nightly for at least 15 minutes.
Have a wonderful week everyone. Remember, there is no school on Friday due to a teacher inservice. Mid tri reports will be coming home on October 18th. Enjoy the extended weekend.