4Sprise October News
News and Announcements for the Month of October
Getting Into the Groove
- We have been in school for several weeks now, and the students are getting used to the 4th grade routine! There is more switching of classes this year, and the students have enjoyed being mixed up with students from both classes.
- The newest routine we have begun is the Spelling routine. We meet each Tuesday and Thursday with spelling groups based on student needs. The students receive a word list on the first Tuesday and a choice board to complete for homework. We ask that students and parents initial each activity completed on the choice board to verify that the students are practicing. Spelling tests take place on the second Thursday of the rotation.
- Club sign ups have taken place, but the PTO is offering an 8-week session of Chess after school on Mondays beginning on October 29 from 3:35-5:30. Registration is now open at www.ihpto.com. The session is open to all 4th and 5th grade students. No previous chess experience is necessary. Here is a note from the PTO:
*During each session, students will receive one hour of Chess instruction and play with Mr. Omar, and one hour of “homework club”. During “homework club”, students will have a snack, do homework, play board games and/or go to the playground.
*There is a registration form and fee. If families cannot pay the fee, scholarships are available. Parents can sign kids up at www.ihpto.com.
*Learn more about Mr. Omar at www.misteromar.com or on Youtube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHf8occZYFU.
*If you would like more information, feel free to contact Erin Starkey at estarkey@cinci.rr.com or Mona Helmy at monabisa@hotmail.com.
Content Connection
What's New in Language Arts?
We have been busy working on seed stories in writing. Students chose a small moment to write about, and we have been working on developing strong leads, detailed middles, and satisfying endings. In reading, students have been practicing strategies such as recording thinking, asking questions, and predicting. Students have also been working on identifying the meaning of unknown words by using context clues. We are wrapping up our study on prefixes and suffixes now. We just finished 4th Grade Rats, and students wrote response letters about the books. Each class has set a reading goal for the year, and the students are already working hard to ensure that Mrs. Sprang and Mrs. Rise have purple hair at the end of the year! (Ask the students why!)
What's New in Math?
The first unit of math was all about geometry. Students spent weeks identifying types of lines, angles, triangles, and polygons. We classified figures based on their properties. We have moved on to studying numbers and data. Students have reviewed the place value all the way to the billions! We've been singing a place value song. Check it out! Students have learned what the important landmarks of data are, including the Maximum, Minimum, Range, Mode, and Median. Quiz your child on their meanings! Next, we will be working on a data analysis project and interpreting different types of graphs. Make sure your child is spending time practicing math facts! The goal is to be able to answer 30 facts in one minute for all operations.
What's New in Social Studies?
During the first weeks of school, students learned about Ohio's geography. We used map skills to create relief maps of Ohio showing understanding of Ohio's regions, as well as the location of Ohio's borders. Students are currently learning about our government. We have discussed what it means to be a democracy, and the responsibilities that Ohioans have as citizens of our state. Next week, we will be reading about the branches of government and each of their responsibilities.