Ross / Ellis Weekly Newsletter
September 21, 2018
"Winning is great, sure, but if you are really going to do something in life, the secret is learning how to lose. Nobody goes undefeated all the time. If you can pick up after a crushing defeat, and go on to win again, you are going to be a champion someday."
What Will We Be Learning This Week?
Math
Cluster 2 Parent Letter - Spanish Version
Math Homework Guidelines
- Math (and Science) homework will be given out each Monday and will be due each Friday.
- Students will be given the opportunity to ask questions about homework at the beginning of each math class on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. If your child has difficulty at home, encourage him/her to ask questions in class the following day.
- Often, students have ample time in class to complete homework.
- Students can turn in homework anytime prior to Friday.
- Homework will be returned to students the following Friday in Friday Folders.
- Students have the opportunity to make any corrections on any math assignment (not Science) to earn half-points back. Corrections for any 1st Quarter assignment will be due by Monday, October 22nd.
- Late work will be accepted, as all students are expected to complete all assignments. Ten points will be deducted for late assignments..
Thank you for your support!
Ms. Ellis
Science
Students completed Science Studies Weekly (SSW) #1 - Attack of the Organisms this week.
Next week, students will be expected to complete SSW #3 - Ecosystems. We will discuss how living and non-living things interact and effect one another in an Ecosystem. We will discuss how the organisms in an ecosystem work together like a factory of workers with each having its own job to keep the ecosystem working and the employees happy. The 'workers' are called producers (create food), consumers (eat producers), and decomposers (break things down to be used as nutrients in the soil).
Language Arts
We will finish reading our biographies in our guided reading groups this week and complete our work with context clues.
At the end of the week we will begin writing poetry inspired by the book The Best Part of Me.
Language Arts Homework Guidelines
Reading Homework:
Students should read for 25 minutes each night, Monday through Thursday. Students should also read one time for 25 minutes over the weekend. Please record the book and pages read in the planner.
Spelling Homework:
(PLEASE NOTE: ALTHOUGH WE TRY TO COMPLETE SPELLING HOMEWORK AT SCHOOL IT SHOULD ALWAYS BE CHECKED AT HOME.)
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday - Word Sort x2
Sort the words into their categories.
Write the headings in your Words Their Way notebook.
Copy each word correctly into its heading.
Complete two word sorts each day.
Thursday - Parent Writing Sort (To Be Completed At Home)
Please use a sheet of loose leaf paper or computer paper, not your spelling notebook.
Write your headings from memory on the piece of paper.
Have a parent call out each word in your list and write the words under the correct heading as if this were the actual spelling test.
Any word that you misspelled should be copied correctly 5 times on the back for extra practice.
Have your parent sign the paper.
Bring this signed practice test to school tomorrow for 5 points extra credit on the spelling test.
Spelling Test
Tests will be given each Friday.
We will call out ten random words from the list.
A misspelled word will receive no credit.
A word that is spelled correctly but written under the wrong heading will be given half credit.
Social Studies
Social Studies Homework Guidelines
Most weeks we will have an NC Studies Weekly to complete. These should be turned in by Friday. Students are given time to complete these in class but parents are encouraged to check over the assignments before students turn them in for a grade. The directions are printed on each assignment but here is a copy for your information:
Each week you must completely read the NC Studies Weekly newspaper. After you have read it, you should complete the accompanying worksheet. It is required that you find the answer to each question in the text (in the newspaper.) You must underline the answer in the newspaper, write the question number next to it, and circle that number. Assignments that are turned in without evidence for each answer underlined and marked in the text will be returned to the student without a grade and counted late upon completion. You are NOT required to complete any activities (crossword puzzles, fill in the blanks, etc.) that are in the newspaper. Please turn in the newspaper with the worksheet and make sure to write your name on both. Please feel free to see Mr. Ross if you have difficulty with any of the questions.
Odds & Ends
Curriculum Night
Here is the link to our Curriculum Night Presentation for those of you who were not able to make it on Tuesday. It has lots of useful information about what we will be learning this year in class, our classroom management system, field trips, etc.
Secure Volunteer Link
Weekly Progress Reports
Blackburn Blast
Upcoming Events
Wednesday, September 26th - Progress Reports
Wednesday, September 26th - EARLY RELEASE DAY
Friday, October 12th - Blackburn Blast
Thursday, October 18th - Fall Pictures
Monday, October 22 - Any Corrections on Math Assignments are Due
Wednesday, October 24th - EARLY RELEASE DAY
Monday, October 29th - No School - Student Led Conferences
Monday - Friday, November 5-9 Fourth Grade Spirit Week (Information to come)