What's Happening in 4V?
Finishing Up the Month of November... in the Snow?!
Reading
Students have been doing a wonderful job in our first book club! It has been fun to make connections between our novel, Medusa Jones, and the Greek Mythology we have studied. We have really been working hard at summarizing chapters, as well as responding to comprehension questions using evidence from the text. Readers will be finishing up book clubs before Thanksgiving Break and completing a fun project to show their comprehension of the plot.
Writing and Word Work
Writers will continue to work on compare/contrast writings. We will really focus on producing organized paragraphs—topic sentence, detail sentences, and a closing sentence—as well as incorporating new vocabulary into our pieces (different, unlike, but, however, rather than, same, alike, similar, both, all, just to name a few!). Students will even have a chance to write about the similarities and differences they have with their classmates.
We will also learn five new Greek roots this week: audi (hearing, sound, listening), cent (hundred), uni (one), therm (Heat, warm), and struct (to make up, build). Students will be bringing home new packets today to help them study these roots. They will be in charge of illustrating the root to help them have a visual, and then they will need to find words that use each root before using those words in a sentence. With the holiday coming up, these packets are due Friday, November 21st and our test will be Friday, November 21st.
Math
This week we will continue to practice dividing with partial quotients, as well as learn the traditional (or regrouping) method. We will work on multistep word problems and continue to review how to interpret the remainder. Our Chapter 4 test is scheduled for Tuesday, November 25th. Look for review to come home this week! If your child will be absent on Tuesday, please let us know so that your child can take the test on Monday, November 24th.
Mathematicians should also continue to work on mastering their facts using XtraMath. At least 12 days of practice need to be complete by Sunday, November 30th!
Social Studies with Mrs. Jackson
Soil, water, and forests are some of the natural resources that brought people to Ohio long ago and keep them here today. Resources help people live better and provide jobs. What are the resources we depend on? Are they found here in Ohio? This week students will learn more about Ohio's resources and how we use them in our every day life.
Next, students will learn about early Ohioans and how they used the land and resources around them. Using primary and secondary sources, students will become experts on prehistoric and history Indians and create a mural displaying what they learned.
The Food Drive
Classrooms are getting motivated to help people in need! Indian Hill Elementary is having a Thanksgiving Food Drive to help people in the community. Kids Who Care is asking that each classroom set a goal for the number of food items donated. Our class has come up with the goal of 115. If this goal is met, I will be wearing a fantastic turkey hat (see below) to the Sharing Assembly next Tuesday! I’ve already purchased it in hopes of us meeting our goal!
Items that are needed range from jellies, canned fruits, and sauces to pancake mix, instant coffee, and boxed rice. Anything that you can donate will be appreciated!
Important Events
November 20th: 4th Grade Musical (7pm)
November 26th-28th: Thanksgiving Break
December 3rd: Pioneer Day at Livingston Lodge