February Newsletter
Randy and Jocelyn's Class
Important Dates
February 2: Groundhog's Day
February 8: Chinese New Year
February 11-12: Conferences (sign up on Veracross if you have not done so)
February 14: Valentine's Day
February 15-16: President's Day and Mid Winter Break
February 17: Carlos Museum Field Trip
February 29-March 4: Players production week
March 4: Fourth Grade Egyptian Museum
GREAT JOB TO ALL OUR ENTREPRENEURS! (more pix on the photos page)
What We Are Learning
Social Studies-
Market was a huge success and we are so proud of all the hard work your children put into their products and business plans. This was a great opportunity for growth in so many ways for our class. We really saw them shine in their abilities to collaborate, communicate, manage their time, problem solve, and express creativity. We followed up Market with a critique and evaluation rubric. As the buzz simmers down, we will move into our Ancient Civilizations study.
The month of February will be devoted to learning about ancient civilizations and we will use Ancient Egypt to highlight the factors of how these early people lived.
Skills and Content covered:
- Development of language and trade
- Development of science/math
- Social structure
- Spiritual beliefs
- Development of tools and inventions
- Geography
Math – Fractions and Their Uses; Chance and Probability- This unit will focus on understanding the parts of a whole, ordering fractions, identifying equivalent fractions and reviewing basic ideas of probability.
Skills and Content covered:
1. Fraction concepts
2. Fraction and mixed-number operations (+,-)
3. equivalent fractions
4. fractions and decimals
5. multiplying fractions by whole numbers
6. Probability, fractions and spinners
Writing Workshop:
We are finishing our poetry unit focusing on found poetry, haiku, and free verse poems. Students will be displaying a variety of poems at the end of the unit.
As this wraps up, we will be moving into a persuasive writing piece that will stem from a project the students are working on in computer class. They will be researching the 1950's during computer class while gaining knowledge on the mechanics, organization and format of writing a persuasive letter in language arts. More details to come.
Skills and Content covered:
1. How to effectively search for information on the internet
2. Discerning good vs. bad information
3. The use of graphic organizers
4. Developing pros and cons of an argument
5. Adding supporting details and examples
6. Grammar/punctuation of a letter
7. Outlining the beginning, middle and end
Reading- We are finishing our Book Club book The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies which helped serve as a economic model to support our social studies unit. Our next Book Club reading will be The Sloppy Copy Slip Up by DyAnne Disalvo.
We are continuing to read parts of The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz to help reinforce positivity within our classroom community.
1. Speak impeccably
2. Don't take anything personally
3. Don't make assumptions
4. Always do your best