Room 15 Class News 10/25/14
Upcoming Events and Volunteer Opportunities
1. Can anyone help me plan some fun for this Friday? I am planning a spooky story week where we will read and write some spine chilling tales. We can share our own stories this Friday as well as make a craft and have a treat. Let me know if you can send in treats and/or if you would like to help the kids with a craft. I have some simple ones we could do.
3. We are embarking on an expedition of Compassion in Action starting this Wednesday. We are finishing a powerful read aloud, Out of My Mind and will begin reading a book, Love That Dog by Sharon Creech. This story is about a boy named Jack. The story is told as a narrative poem and chronicles Jack's journey in writing and his love for a dog he has adopted from an animal shelter. Brother Wolf, an animal rescue organization, is teaming up with us to teach the kids about the animals at their shelter. Our fourth grade classes will be learning about individual animals at the rescue and writing “their story.” We will compile all of these stories into a book that will be used at adoption events. We are also trying to get Sharon Creech to either Skype with us or visit us here in Asheville. This project will encompass science, writing and reading and hopefully be a big hit with the kids!
4. Report cards are coming home next week! The language arts grade includes spelling, writing and reading combined instead of each of those subjects having an individual grade. This was not the teacher's choice, but a mandate from the state. If you would like to know how your child is doing in the individual subjects of spelling, writing and reading, please let me know!
5. We will be going to see the traditional Nutcracker at the Diana Wortham Theatre
on December 17, 2014 at 10:00 am. Please let me know if you can chaperone. The cost is $7.
6. The kids and I would like to start service days after school again. Please let me know if you have a free afternoon any day of the week from 2:30 - 4:30 and we can set the next date.
7. I can always use help filing, sorting, cutting, etc. Stop by the classroom if this is something you like to do. Melissa has been a great help with this and a big thanks goes out to her for creating our Sound to Sea booklets that will be turned in this week for the 1st major science grade of the 2nd nine weeks.
8. In math, we will begin a new unit on size, shape and symmetry. Students still need to memorize their multiplication tables as I will continue to assess their progress on this. We will continue flexibly grouping students to help with individual math skills. Currently we are working in small groups on place value every Tuesday.
9. In social studies, we will begin learning about Native Americans that lived in North Carolina. We are also looking forward to having another Mystery Skype session with another class somewhere in the USA. Ask your child about our first Mystery Skype session with a 3rd grade class in Oklahoma. This is an incredibly engaging way to study geography and to learn how to generate high quality questions to get answers to solve a mystery.
10. In science, we will be studying animals, other than ourselves, and specifically animal adaptations. Sound to Sea was a great way to kick off this unit!
11. As we finish studying character and writing a character sketch of an animal at Brother Wolf, we will embark on a non-fiction reading and writing unit. The class will research and report on an animal of their choosing. We are going to work on tying this into our study of Native Americans culture and their connection with nature and animals.