Rathbone's Report
Mrs. Rathbone's Weekly News
December 14-18
Families,
I hope everyone is hanging in there. I know the holiday season is in full swing and there’s so much to be done. Make sure your child completes their homework nightly and continues to follow the ABC’s. I’ve had to review them in class as well.
A few reminders…
If your child is not planning to come the last day before break, please let me know ASAP, so I can make sure they take any assessments the day before.
Auditions for Sleeping Beauty are December 16th. If you would like to try-out click the link.
Last Week:
In Reading, we started a new unit on Nonfiction. I modeled for students how to preview the text by talking about what I think I know and jotting questions I have about the topic. Then, students previewed their own nonfiction books. They looked at subheadings and predicted what they will learn, keeping track of new information as they read, and thinking about what information is important or extra. The new TOTW assignment sheet came home this week too. The tasks were a bit different this time.
In Math, we started working on decomposing angles, and adding and subtracting to find unknown angles. The following websites may help you to work with your child at home..
*On Friday, students took their summative assessment on Measuring, Estimating, and Identifying Angles Summative. These assessments will come home next week. please look over them with your child and review any questions they may have gotten incorrect.
**The final assessment will be THURSDAY
In Writing, students continued to work on their persuasive essays, and then they edited and revised them.
In Science, we will be working on our moon phase projects all week long. The students are so excited to use the paint, glue and glitter they have brought in! On Wednesday we will take a break to have our Moon assessment. So be sure to review your science notes and quizlet before then. Projects will be due on Friday. We will set them up in the science room and walk around looking at everyone’s hard work. Those who finish early will be watching a documentary of the Apollo project including the first lunar landing.
In Social Studies, we have completed out lapbooks about the Civil War and took our American Revolution and Civil War Assessment on Friday.
Upcoming Dates and Events:
12/14-Math County Benchmark
12/15-Reading County Benchmark
12/16- Sleeping Beauty Auditions (2:00-4:30)
12/17 - Reading Response Due
12/17 - Decomposing, Adding, and Subtracting Angles Summative
12/18 - Spirit Wear Friday - Pajama or Holiday Shirt/Sweater Day
12/18 - Persuasive Essay Due (in class assignment)
12/18 - Holiday Celebration (10am-11am)Weekly update
Families,
Welcome Back! I hope everyone enjoyed your Thanksgiving Break. We have a lot going on over the next few weeks before the Winter Break, so please review the ABC’s of Kensington with your child, and keep them on track with their homework and study habits.
A few reminders…
If your child is not planning to come the last day before break, please let me know ASAP!!
Thank you to those who sent it in so quickly! We are all set to wrap boxes next week!
Auditions for Sleeping Beauty are December 16th. If your child would like to try-out click the link.
Last Week:
In Reading, we continued our unit on Myths and Legends. Students reviewed the different allusions in myths. On Friday, they took their summative assessment.
In Math, we started learning all about angles and lines. We reviewed points, lines, rays, and line segments. Then, after Thanksgiving, we moved on to identifying angles when given a measurement, measuring angles using a protractor, and identifying angles on a protractor. Below are some measurements that students need to be familiar with..
360 degrees= full turn
180 degrees= half turn
90 degrees = quarter turn
45 degrees = eighth turn
You can also review Learn Zillion to help your child.
In Writing, we continued to work on persuasive essays. Students looked over their own lists of topics that they made, and chose one to write about. They were given a graphic organizer to help them plan out their ideas. I modeled for them how to use the organizer to start writing each paragraph using “The Bing, The Bang, and The Bongo”.
In Social Studies, we learned all about the Civil War! The students began working on a Civil War Lapbook, which will include information and facts about several different Civil War topics. The students are researching interesting topics like what it was like to be a kid during the Civil War, the Battle of the Ironclads, and how North Carolina got the Tar Heel nickname! The students will take their Revolution and Civil War assessment on Friday, so please make sure they are using the quizlet to review!
This Week:
In Reading, we start a new unit on Nonfiction. I will model for students how to preview the text by talking about what I think I know and jotting questions I have about the topic. Then, students will be getting into their own nonfiction books. They will start to work on looking at subheadings and predicting what they will learn, keeping track of new information as they read, and thinking about what information is important or extra.
In Math, we start working on decomposing angles, and adding and subtracting to find unknown angles. The following websites may help you to work with your child at home..
*On Friday, students will take their summative assessment on Measuring, Estimating, and Identifying Angles Summative. They should be reviewing their notes nightly. Pay close attention to naming angles when given a measurement, knowing benchmark angles - 45, 90, 180, 360, and reading angle measurements on a protractor.
In Writing, students will continue to work on their persuasive essays. I will continue to model for them how to write each paragraph (The Bing, The Bang, The Bongo), and then they will edit and revise their essays. Then they will begin using Newsela to find a second topic of interest to write about.
In Social Studies, students will finish up their unit on the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. They will continue to rotate through different stations to complete their Civil War Lapbooks, which will be due on Friday. The students will take their Revolution and Civil War assessment on Friday, so please make sure they are using the quizlet to review!
Upcoming Dates and Events:
12/8 - Spelling Bee (students only)
12/11 - Civil War Lapbook due (in class assignment)
12/11 - Revolution and Civil War Assessment
12/11 - Measuring, Estimating, and Identifying
Angles Summative
12/11 - Mother/Daughter Craft Night (6:30-8:30)
12/16- Sleeping Beauty Auditions (2:00-4:30)
12/17 - Reading Response Due
12/18 - Spirit Wear Friday - Holiday Shirt/Sweater Day
12/17 - Decomposing, Adding, and Subtracting Angles Summative
12/18 - Persuasive Essay Due (in class assignment)
12/18 - Holiday Celebration (10am-11am)
Week Of Nov.23-December 4
Families,
We had a busy week at Kensington trying to close out the 2nd 6 weeks. This update will include what’s being taught next week and the week after Thanksgiving. I hope everyone enjoys their time off with family and friends.
A few reminders…
The canned food drive ended Friday, November 20th. Our class brought in a lot of canned goods. Way to go!!!
We are now into the 3rd grading period. Thanks for all of your help and support.
To celebrate the end of the 2nd grading period, we will have a PJ Day on Tuesday!
Last Week:
In Reading, we started a new unit on Myths and Legends. Students worked in groups on 4 different stories and looked at the features, characters, and events. We talked about how myths are not real, but are ideas to explain the beginnings of the world, nature, and natural phenomena. We also be looked at the different gods and goddesses and what they represent.
In Math, we finished up our unit on factors, multiples, prime, and composite numbers. On Tuesday, students took their summative on this skill. Then, we reviewed all skills taught throughout the year, to prepare students for their cumulative assessment on Friday.
In writing, we started our persuasive writing unit. To start off, students wrote a letter to Farmer Brown from the perspective of a turkey trying to persuade him not to have them as Thanksgiving meal. They are quite comical. Then,I teach them how to use a strategy called, The Bing, The Bang, and The Bongo. You can review the following Slide to help them at home. After that, I divided them into groups of 4, and they started to write a new persuasive essay on whether or not students should have to wear school uniforms. Ask your child to share their viewpoint on this topic, and give reasons to support it.
In Social Studies, we bagan working on the American Revolution and the Civil War.
Next Week:
In Reading, we will continue our unit on Myths and Legends. When, we come back from Thanksgiving break, we will continue this unit and review for their summative assessment. Students need to pay close attention to the allusions in myths. They can study their notes in their reader’s notebooks, and use quizlet to help them review as well.
I Math, we start learning all about Geometry. We will review points, lines, rays, and line segments. Then, after Thanksgiving, we move on to identifying angles when given a measurement, measuring angles using a protractor, and identifying angles on a protractor. Below are some measurements that students need to be familiar with..
*360 degrees= full turn; 180 degrees= half turn; 90 degrees = quarter turn; 45 degrees = eighth turn
You can also review the following websites with them…
In Writing, we will continue to work on persuasive essays. First, students will continue to write their group persuasive essays, and then we will share them. After that, students will look over their own lists of topics that they made, and choose one to write about. They will use a graphic organizer to help them plan out their ideas. I will model for them how to use the organizer to write each paragraph using The Bing, The Bang, and The Bongo.
In Social Studies we will continue with American Revolution and the Civil War.
Upcoming Dates and Events:
11/24 - Pajama Day
11/24 - Pies for Teachers
11/25-11/27 - No School - Happy Thanksgiving!
11/30- Social Studies Assignment in Class
12/2 - Report Cards come home
12/4 - Myths and Legends Summative
Week Of November 16-20
Families,
I hope everyone had a wonderful, short week. Thank you to all of you Veteran’s for your service. We appreciate you :)
A few reminders…
Fourth grade went to Asheboro Zoo on Tuesday. It was a great trip to review our animal adaptations unit.
The canned food drive kicks off Monday. Our class has already brought in almost 50 cans. WOW!! Continue to send in non perishable food with your child if you choose to participate. We will stack the food in our classroom. The drive will end on November 20th.
Last Week:
In Reading, we reviewed skills taught throughout the year to prepare for their cumulative assessment on Friday. Some of these skills included main idea and details, summarizing, theme, characters, setting, events, and making inferences.
In Math, we worked on identifying prime and composite numbers, as well as problem solving with factors and multiples. On Friday, students took their formative on these skills.
In Writing, students published their realistic fiction piece, and we celebrated on Friday. Students walked around and read each other’s stories. They gave them positive feedback to help them grow as writers.
In Science, we continued our new unit on fossils. Students compared fossils to one another and to living organisms and infered ideas about Earth’s early environments from fossils. They started creating a poster to show the 4 types of fossils (cast, mold, trace, and true form).
Next Week:
In Reading, we start a new unit on Myths and Legends. Students will start by listening to, and reading several different myths, as well as looking at the features, characters, and events. They will understand that myths are not real, but are ideas to explain the beginnings of the world, nature, and natural phenomena. They will also be looking at the different gods and goddesses and what they represent. We will review the theme (the message or lesson learned) within each story.
In Math, we finish up our unit on factors, multiples, prime, and composite numbers. On Monday, we will review for the summative assessment, which students will take Tuesday. Then, we move on to reviewing all skills taught throughout the year, to prepare students for their cumulative assessment on Friday. Your child can look over their previous assessments in their data notebooks to help them. It would be a good idea to look at the types of questions they missed, and review them at home.
In writing, we start our unit on persuasive writing. To start off, students will be writing a letter to Farmer Brown from the perspective of a turkey trying to persuade him not to have them as Thanksgiving meal. This is just a fun activity to immerse them into this genre. Then,students will make a list of topics they feel strongly about, and I will teach them how to use a strategy called, The Bing, The Bang, and The Bongo. You can review the following Slide to help them at home.
In Social Studies we will begin our new unit explaining North Carolina’s involvement in the American Revolution.
Upcoming Dates and Events:
11/16 - Jump Rope for Heart begins (more info to come)
11/17 - Factors and Multiples Summative
11/17 - Fossil Poster Due (in class assignment)
11/19 - End of 2nd grading period
11/19 - Picture Make-up
11/19 - Moe’s Night (4-9pm)
11/20 - 2nd 6 weeks Math Cumulative
11/20 - Spirit Wear Friday (favorite sport’s team)
11/20 - Food Drive Ends
11/24 - Light Assessment
11/24 - Pies for Teachers (YAY...Thank you)
11/25-11/27 - No School - Happy Thanksgiving!
Week of November 9th
Families,
I hope everyone had a great weekend. Let’s hope this rainy weather leaves us soon. I am looking forward to the short week ahead, and it would be great to see the sun again :)
A few reminders…
Fourth grade goes to the Asheboro Zoo on Tuesday. Make sure your child packs a snack to eat on the way there. They will also need to have a bagged lunch from home, unless they signed up for a bagged lunch from school. You can go to the following website to get more information about the zoo http://www.nczoo.org/ . Student should wear comfortable shoes and dress in layers. They are responsible for keeping up with their own items. No electronics are allowed on the trip.
There is no school on Wednesday, in honor of Veteran’s Day.
There will not be “Text of the Week” homework this week. Students will still need to read for 40 min nightly.
The canned food drive kicks off tomorrow. Please send in non perishable food with your child if you choose to participate. We will stack the food in our classroom. I will tell the class that they can earn incentives for the # of cans donated. We will come up with these amounts and incentives tomorrow.
Last Week:
In Reading, we focused on answering inferential questions by using text clues. We also reviewed theme and summary before students took their summative on Thursday. Please review it with your child this week.
In Math, we reviewed long division and interpreting remainders on Monday, before students took their Summative Assessment on Tuesday. Although we’ve finished up with the multiplication and division units, students will continue to see these concepts throughout the entire fourth grade year. They should continue to study their facts daily. On Wednesday, we started our new unit on Factors, Multiples, Prime & Composite numbers. They were taught the SMILE method to help them find factors of a given number. Ask them to model it for you!
In Writing, we continued to work on finishing our realistic fiction writing unit. Students chose a story that they previously drafted to publish. They spent some time reflecting and revising with peers to make their story the best it can be. Then they added detail, dialogue, and focus.
In Science, we continued our unit on animal adaptations. Students took their assessment on Wednesday. They also continued to work on their project in class by using their chromebooks to research several topics on a chosen animal (appearance, behavioral adaptation, physical adaptations, habitat, predator/prey, and other fun facts). On Friday, we started our mini-unit on fossils.
Next Week:
In Reading, students will have a cumulative assessment on Friday. We will take this week to review skills taught this year. Your child can study at home using quizlet. They should also be reviewing old summative and cumulative assessments. Remind them to use their strategies and check back over their work before turning it in.
In Math, we will work on identifying prime and composite numbers, as well as problem solving with factors and multiples. In addition to using the SMILE method for finding factors of a number, I showed students how to divide a given number by #’s 1-9 to find all factors. This helps with bigger numbers. For example: If they are finding factors of 98, they can take 98 and divide it by all #’s 1-9, to find the factors.
In Writing, students will publish their realistic fiction piece, and we will celebrate on Friday.
In Science, we will continue our new unit on fossils. Students will be able to compare fossils to one another and to living organisms and infer ideas about Earth’s early environments from fossils. They will be creating a poster to show the 4 types of fossils (cast, mold, trace, and true form).
Upcoming Dates and Events:
11/10- Field Trip to NC Zoo
11/11- Veteran’s Day- No School
11/13 - Spirit Wear Friday
11/13 - Reading Cumulative
11/13- Realistic Fiction Writing Piece Due (in class assignment)
11/16 - Jump Rope for Heart begins (more info to come)
11/17 - Factors and Multiples Summative
11/17 - Fossil Poster Due (in class assignment)
11/19 - End of 2nd grading period
11/19 - Picture Make-up
11/19 - Moe’s Night
11/20 - Spirit Wear Friday (favorite sport’s team)
11/20 - 2nd 6 weeks Math CumulativeWeek of Nov. 2-6
Families,
Thank you so very much for the donations. Our pumpkin day was a success!
Our Field Trip volunteers are
Mrs. Sheriff (Kenedi)
Mrs. Silverio (Isabela)
Mrs. Crumpler (Grady)
Mrs. Thomas (Catharine)
Mrs. Weldon (Sienna)
A few reminders…
Remind your child to make sure the answer they are circling on their test matches the answer they are bubbling on their scan sheet. Starting this grading period, students will not be given any credit for questions they bubbled incorrectly or missed. This is still happening!!!!
Starting this second six weeks, students will be given two school days to complete assignments after the due date. All assignments after two days, will be graded based on the work completed. All assignments are expected to be turned in on time, so points will be deducted after the due date (it will be included on the rubrics from now on). Anything after the two days will be graded as is. The only exception to this will be student absences. If a student is absent, they will be given extra time.
Students need to make sure they check over their rubrics very carefully before turning in assignments. Please talk with your child about taking their time on their assignments.
Students will be expected to write their names in cursive on their papers, starting this six weeks.
Practice those multiplication facts! I am noticing as we work through our math unit that the kiddos are doing great with the process of multiplying. Their mistakes are computational. Please help your child by working with them daily. There are lots of apps you can download to practice this. They can also use their multiplication flash cards. We practice these very often in class as well. If you did not purchase flashcards on the supply list at the beginning of the year, please do so asap.
Last Week:
In Reading, we continued our character unit by looking at character traits. Students had to support our thinking with evidence from the text. We will identify obstacles that our characters face and how they respond to them. We will also describe changes in our characters and lesson that they may have learned in the story.
In Math, we will continue our study of long division. The kiddos can choose which method works for them; Partial Quotients, or Standard Algorithm. We will also be interpreting what to do the the remainders in word problems. Do we keep them, throw them out, or add them to the quotient. Here are some videos to help you assist your child with understanding this.
Long Division(algorithm)
In Writing, we are drafting our second realistic fiction narrative piece. We will be sure to keep the tense consistent as well as the point of view.
In Science, we will start our next unit on animal adaptations. Students will be able to explain the effects of environmental changes, adaptations, and behaviors that enable animals to survive in changing habitats. They will start their first project in class by using their chromebooks to research several topics on a chosen animal (appearance, behavioral adaptation, physical adaptations, habitat, predator/prey, and other fun facts). Students should bring their notebooks home daily to study from. They can also study using quizlet.
Next Week:
In Reading we will continue with our character unit and noticing how they change throughout the story. They need to jot down their thinking DURING the book. This helps when they are writing a response.
In Math we will review long division and interpreting remainders on Monday. They will take their Summative Assessment on Tuesday. I am finding that the kiddos know how to divide. They have chosen their method (partial quotients or standard algorithm) and are sticking with it. Their mistakes are happening with fact errors or interpreting remainders. Remember to keep working on those facts. If you would like to practice with interpreting remainders a bit more over the weekend, here are some questions to help you practice.
You can also remind them that it is okay to write a tricky multiplication table in the margin of their test to help them. For example if they have a division problem like 465 divided by 8, and they are not great at their 8’s table. They can write 8,16,24, 32, 40 etc. in the margin. I have told them in the past, that I love messy tests. It shows me that they are really thinking and working out the problems!
After division we will be starting our unit on Factors, Multiples, Prime & Composite numbers.
Upcoming Dates and Events:
11/3 - Division Summative
11/4 - Fall Picture $ Due
11/4 - Animal Adaptations Test
11/6 - Animal Adaptations Poster Due (in class assignment)
Week of October 26-30
Families,
I hope everyone had a great week! Thank you for sending in Zoo trip permission slips and money! I will let the chaperones know this week about attending the trip on the 10th.
A few reminders…
Remind your child to make sure the answer they are circling on their test matches the answer they are bubbling on their scan sheet. Starting this grading period, students will not be given any credit for questions they bubbled incorrectly or missed. This is still happening!!!!
Starting this second six weeks, students will be given two school days to complete assignments after the due date. All assignments after two days, will be graded based on the work completed. All assignments are expected to be turned in on time, so points will be deducted after the due date (it will be included on the rubrics from now on). Anything after the two days will be graded as is. The only exception to this will be student absences. If a student is absent, they will be given extra time.
Students need to make sure they check over their rubrics very carefully before turning in assignments. Please talk with your child about taking their time on their assignments.
Students will be expected to write their names(First and Last) in cursive on their papers, starting this six weeks.
Practice those multiplication facts! I am noticing as we work through our math unit that the kiddos are doing great with the process of multiplying. Their mistakes are computational. Please help your child by working with them daily. There are lots of apps you can download to practice this. They can also use their multiplication flash cards. We practice these very often in class as well. If you did not purchase flashcards on the supply list at the beginning of the year, please do so asap.
Please send in a water bottle with a pop top (screw caps spill) and a healthy snack that they can eat at 9am.
Last Week:
In Reading, we continued our character study unit by focusing on themes in fiction stories, as well as how authors use figurative language to convey meanings. The students took their summative on Thursday. Their summatives will come home next week. Be sure to look over any questions they missed. At home, you can help your child by asking them the questions in their reader's notebook on their book group books. If they can not answer all the questions, they should go back and reread the chapters.
In Math, we started our unit on Long Division. I taught two methods for doing this: the standard algorithm (the way you learned) and partial quotients (the forgiving method). Here are some videos to help you, help your child. They will also need to determine what to do with remainders when problem solving. Keep studying those multiplication facts daily!
Long Division(algorithm)
In Writing, we finished our draft of our first realistic fiction writing piece and then began another, starting with the plan, great lead, and creating the characters. We also looked at commonly misspelled words (ex:their, they’re, and there).
In SS, we completed our unit on Settlement and Exploration.
Next Week:
In Reading, we will continue our character unit by looking at character traits. We will support our thinking with evidence from the text. We will identify obstacles that our characters face and how they respond to them. We will also describe changes in our characters and lesson that they may have learned in the story. Please continue to work on the questions your kiddos are bringing home for their book groups. If they can not answer the questions, they should reread the chapters.
In Math, we will continue our study of long division. The kiddos can choose which method works for them; Partial Quotients, or Standard Algorithm. We will also be interpreting what to do the the remainders in word problems. Do we keep them, throw them out, or add them to the quotient. Here are some videos to help you assist your child with understanding this.
Long Division(algorithm)
In Writing, we are drafting our second realistic fiction narrative piece. We will be sure to keep the tense consistent as well as the point of view.
In Science, we will start our next unit on animal adaptations. Students will be able to explain the effects of environmental changes, adaptations, and behaviors that enable animals to survive in changing habitats. They will start their first project in class by using their chromebooks to research several topics on a chosen animal (appearance, behavioral adaptation, physical adaptations, habitat, predator/prey, and other fun facts). Students should bring their notebooks home daily to study from. They can also study using quizlet.
Upcoming Dates and Events:
10/26 - Report cards come home (Please sign the outside of the envelope and return it the following day; you keep the report card)
10/27 - Zoo permission slips and $ due
10/29 - Nothing But Noodles Night
10/30 - KES Spirit Wear - Crazy Hair Day- NO costumes
10/30 - Second Reading Response Due (in class assignment)
11/3 - Division Summative
11/4 - Fall Picture $ Due
11/4 - Animal Adaptations Test
11/6 - Animal Adaptations Poster Due (in class assignment)Week of October 5
Parents,
I hope everyone had a great weekend, despite this nasty weather. We had a very busy week, finishing up assignments and assessments. I can’t believe the first grading period has come to an end.
A few reminders…
I have noticed that students are making careless mistakes when bubbling their answers on their assessments. They need to make sure the answer they are circling on their test matches the answer they are bubbling on their scan sheet. Please take time to review this with your child so they do not lose credit for their hard work. Starting this grading period, students will not be given any credit for questions they bubbled incorrectly or missed.
Starting this second six weeks, students will be given two school days to complete assignments after the due date. All assignments after two days, will be graded based on the work completed. All assignments are expected to be turned in on time, so points will be deducted after the due date (it will be included on the rubrics from now on). Anything after the two days will be graded as is. The only exception to this will be student absences. If a student is absent, they will be given extra time.
Students need to make sure they check over their rubrics very carefully before turning in assignments. I have been checking their reading responses this weekend, and noticed they’ve lost points for not including parts of the assignment. They were given a rubric, example, template, and I modeled for them how to go through each part. Please talk with your child about taking their time on their assignments.
Students will be expected to write their names in cursive on their papers, starting this six weeks.
Last Week:
In Reading, students worked on reading and understanding poetry. They had their poetry summative and a cumulative assessment on all skills taught this year. They also worked on completing their second reading response in class.
In Math, students worked on patterns and took their summative assessment on Wednesday. They also had a cumulative assessment on all skills taught this year.
In Writing, student published their first personal narrative on their Chromebooks. They have worked very hard all grading period.
In Science, students reviewed how Earth’s surface can change rapidly due to natural disasters like sinkholes, hurricanes, volcanoes, tsunamis etc, and took their Earth’s Changing Surface Assessment on Wednesday. They also continued to work on their Natural Disaster Report in class, which was due on Friday.
Next Week:
In Reading, we will start our new unit on “Following Characters into Meaning”. We will start off by identifying the story elements in a realistic fiction story. Then, we will start to analyze the characters in our books, by paying close attention to their thoughts, actions, and words, using text evidence to support our thinking. TOTW will continue, however, students will have some new assignments to work on throughout the week, as some skills will be changing. I will continue to work with them on reading responses as well.
In Math, we start our unit on multiplication. First, we will practice how to look for patterns for multiplying with multiples of ten (ex: 3x6=18, so 3x60=180). Next, we will look at how to use the distributive property to solve through multiplication problems (ex: 73 x 5 = (70 x 5)+(3 x 5) ). Then, we will start to multiply 2x2 digits, 3x1 digits, and 4x1 digits using different methods. Here are some videos for you to be able to help your child at home…
multiplying multi digits times one digit(traditional algorithm)
Long multiplication (traditional algorithm)
Long multiplication (box method)
Long multiplication(lattice method)
In Writing, we start our realistic fiction unit. Students will learn how to generate powerful story ideas, develop their characters, setting, problem, and solution. They will continue to use their story mountains to help them plan. I will be reading several picture books to them throughout the week to provide them with examples to use in their writing.
In SS, We will begin our unit on Early American Indians
Upcoming Dates and Events:
10/5-10/9 - Fall Book Fair
10/6 - End of 1st Grading Period
10/12 - Student Led Conferences (No School)
10/15 -Exploration And Settlement Assessment
10/16 - First Reading Response Due (in class assignment)
10/16 - Multiplication SummativeWeek of September 28
Parents,
I hope everyone had a great, short week! We are nearing the end of the first 6 weeks grading period. I can’t believe how quickly it’s gone by. Thank you for all of your help and support to get this year off and running to a great start.
A few reminders…
I am not able to check email until after school each day.
Here is a link to our curriculum night presentation, in case you couldn’t attend.
Click the link below to sign up for your October conference. Pick a time that both you and your child can attend. Your child will be leading the conference! http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0a48abaa2aab9-student
Please remember to sign your child’s agenda every day. Keep an eye out for those ABC stamps!
I have noticed that students are making careless mistakes when bubbling their answers on their assessments. They need to make sure the answer they are circling on their test matches the answer they are bubbling on their scan sheet. Please take time to review this with your child so they do not lose credit for their hard work.
Starting the second six weeks, students will be given two school days to complete assignments after the due date. All assignments after two days, will be graded based on the work completed. All assignments are expected to be turned in on time, so points will be deducted after the due date (it will be included on the rubrics from now on). Anything after the two days will be graded as is. The only exception to this will be student absences. If a student is absent, they will be given extra time.
Since next week is the end of the grading period, we have a lot of assessments and due dates scheduled. 4th graders will be able to have a Pajama Day on Friday 10/2, to celebrate the completion of all their hard work in the first 6 weeks!
Last Week:
In Reading, students continued to work on reading and understanding poetry. Students had a chance to practice using imagery (five senses), visualizing what is happening in the poems by looking for descriptive words, and identifying the speaker's point of view by paying attention to word choice, mood and tone. They continued to work on their reading responses with their independent books. Please discuss the books they are writing their responses on. We have spent a lot of time discussing Just Right books and that they cannot write a response on a 'vacation' book.
In Math, we started our new unit on patterns. Students generated a number or shape pattern that followed a given rule. Your child should continue to study their math notes nightly. Here are some videos that may help you and your child with patterns. Your child can sign in with their google password.
In Writing, students finished drafting their personal narrative piece. Then they had the opportunity to edit and revise their personal narratives. They worked with partners to see how to add details to their stories that may make them more interesting as they revise and edit.
In Science, students learned how Earth’s surface can change rapidly due to natural disasters like sinkholes, hurricanes, volcanoes, tsunamis etc. I modeled for students how to research for a news report that they started this week. Students should be bringing home their science notebook every night to help them study, along with science websites for students, which includes quizlet. It should be noted that quizlet is only one tool to study with. Not all questions on the test are covered in the quizlet.
Next Week:
In Reading, students will continue to work on reading and understanding poetry. On Tuesday, they will have their poetry summative. Your child can continue learning the vocabulary for that assessment. At the end of each six weeks, your child will take a cumulative assessment on all skills taught this year. We will review for this assessment Wednesday before they take it on Thursday. You can help your child at home by reviewing their first summative as well as reviewing their TOTW’s.
In Math, students will continue to work on patterns. I will review patterns with them on Tuesday before their summative assessment on Wednesday. At the end of each six weeks, your child will take a cumulative assessment on all skills taught this year. We will review for this assessment Thursday before they take it on Friday. You can help your child at home by looking over their notes and old summatives.
In Writing, students will continue to edit their narratives looking for run on sentences and fragments, as well as checking to see where they should use commas appropriately. Then they will finish typing their first personal narrative on their Chromebooks. They have worked very hard all grading period to be ready to publish.
In Science, students will review how Earth’s surface can change rapidly due to natural disasters like sinkholes, hurricanes, volcanoes, tsunamis etc. They will have their Earth’s Changing Surface Assessment on Wednesday. Students should be bringing home their science notebook every night to help them study, along with science websites for students, which includes quizlet. It should be noted that quizlet is only one tool to study with. Not all questions on the test are covered in the quizlet. They will also continue to work on their Natural Disaster Report in class, which will be due on Friday.
In Social Studies, students will be able to explain how early settlers of North Carolina modified their new environment. They will have an Adapt and Modify project due in class on Friday.
Upcoming Dates and Events:
9/29 - Poetry Summative
9/29 - Chick Fil A Night
9/30 - Earth’s Surface Changing Assessment
9/30 - Patterns Summative
10/1 - Fall Picture Day
10/1 - Reading Cumulative (covers all skills taught so far - review summatives to study)
10/2 - Math Cumulative - (covers all skills taught so far - review summatives to study)
10/2 - Personal Narrative Due (in class assignment)
10/2 - 2nd Reading Response Due (in class assignment) - extended a week
10/2 - Natural Disaster News Report Due (in class assignment)
10/2 - 4th Grade PJ Day!
10/5-10/9 - Fall Book Fair - details will come home Tuesday
10/6 - End of 1st Grading Period
10/12 - Student Led Conferences (No School)Week of September 21
Dear Families,
I hope everyone had a great weekend! It was great to see so many of you at Curriculum Night on Tuesday! Thank you for those who were able to come out show your support. I appreciate your feedback from our presentation. Thank you so much for turning in the Go, Play, Save!!
A few reminders…
I am not able to check email until after school each day.
Here is a link to our curriculum night presentation, in case you couldn’t attend.
We are not policing what your child buys for lunch. If you would like your child to purchase a snack/dessert only one day a week, you need to set it up on your child’s lunch account. We have noticed some children buying a snack every day so you may want to check your child’s lunch account. It adds up quickly!
Click HERE http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0a48abaa2aab9-student to sign up for your October conference. Pick a time that both you and your child can attend. Your child will be leading the conference!
Please remember to sign your child’s agenda every day. Keep an eye out for those ABC stamps!
Kensington will be starting a new incentive program with all students K-5. Each child will be receiving a spirit ring to clip on their bookbags, and as they earn “spirit totems”, they will add them to their rings. More info will be coming home next week from PTO.
I have noticed that students are making careless mistakes when bubbling their answers on their assessments. They need to make sure the answer they are circling on their test matches the answer they are bubbling on their scan sheet. Please take time to review this with your child so they do not lose credit for their hard work.
Last Week:
In Reading, we worked on showing our thinking by writing quality reading responses. We also started our mini unit on poetry. Your kiddos can start learning the vocabulary for their next assessment here.
In Math, we finished our unit on rounding numbers and estimating sums and differences. The students had their assessment on Friday.
In Writing, students finished drafting their personal narrative piece. They worked on adding interesting and reflective endings to their stories. They are not done however, because we talked about how good writers revise and edit their stories before publishing.
In Science, we learned about weathering, erosion, and deposition. The students started working on their posters. They should be studying their notes nightly to help them review for their test. They can also study at home by using our quizlet review. It should be noted that quizlet is only one tool to study with. Not all questions on the test are covered in the quizlet.
Next Week:
In Reading, we will continue to work on reading and understanding poetry. Students will have a chance to practice using imagery (five senses), visualizing what is happening in the poems by looking for descriptive words, and identifying the speaker's point of view by paying attention to word choice and tone. They will continue to work on their reading responses with their independent books. Your child can continue learning the vocabulary for their next assessment here.
In Math, we will start our new unit on patterns. Students will be able to generate a number or shape pattern that follows a given rule. Your child should continue to study their math notes nightly. Here are some videos that may help you and your child with patterns. Your child can sign in with their google password.
In Writing, students will finish drafting, editing, and revising their personal narratives. They will work with partners to see how to add details to their stories that may make them more interesting as they revise and edit.
In Science, students will learn how Earth’s surface can change rapidly due to natural disasters like sinkholes, hurricanes, volcanoes, tsunamis etc. I will model for students how to research for a news report that they will type on their Chromebooks. Students should be bringing home their science notebook every night to help them study, along with science websites for students, which includes quizlet. It should be noted that quizlet is only one tool to study with. Not all questions on the test are covered in the quizlet.
Upcoming Dates and Events:
9/22- W.E.D. Poster Due (in class assignment)
9/22 - First PTO Meeting (6:30pm)
9/23 - Teacher Workday - NO SCHOOL
9/25 - Reading Response Due
9/25 - Kensington Night at CHS Football game (6:30pm)
9/29 - Poetry Summative
9/30 - Earth’s Surface Changing Assessment
9/30 - Patterns Summative
10/5-10/9 - Fall Book Fair - details will come home at a later date
Week of September 14-18
Dear Parents,
I hope everyone had a great, short week!!!! Thank you for those who remembered to send in the money or book for GO, Play, Save.
A few reminders…
I am not able to check email until after school each day.
Go, Play, Save is ending Monday 9/14. If you have not purchased your book yet, please send in $30 or return the book.
Tuesday is Curriculum Night. Please choose one session to attend 6:30 or 7:00. I will be talking about what your students will learn this year in 4th grade.
Please remember to sign your child’s agenda every day. Keep an eye out for those ABC stamps!
Morning announcement tryouts are Tuesday afternoon. Please be sure ( if your child filled out the paperwork to tryout) to send in a transportation change.
This Week: In Reading, we worked on determining the meaning of unknown words and phrases as we read. I showed them how to infer the meaning of words and phrases using context clues and their background knowledge. They had a chance to practice this skill using comic strips, short passages, and their own independent reading books. Their first reading test has moved to 9/15 to allow them more time to practice these skills. They can access a reading vocab quizlet to help them study as well. The words on this quizlet are in the text, but are not words they will be tested on. It will help them to understand the text better. It is important that students do not memorize the definitions on quizlet but instead be able to explain the word meanings and use them within their daily speaking and writing.
In Math, we started rounding numbers to various places up to the hundred thousands place. We took some time to review for their addition and subtraction summative, by going over sample word problems with them.
In Writing, students selected a seed idea to write their first personal narrative. We talked about how to plan and use the 4 W's and to 'hook' the reader.
In Social Studies, we completed our unit with our final assessment.
Next Week: In Reading, we will be working on showing our thinking by writing quality reading responses. We will also start our mini unit on poetry. We will look at the makeup of poems as well as interpret the figurative language often found within poetry.
In Math, we will be continuing to work with rounding numbers as well as estimating sums and differences. I will teach them how to round each number then add or subtract to get an estimate. They will be on the lookout for the word “about” in word problems. This is a big clue that they will need to estimate.
In Writing, students will continue to draft their personal narrative. They will include rising action and setbacks in order to reach the climax or “big moment” in their story.
In Science , students will be learning all about weathering, erosion, and deposition. They should start studying their notes nightly to help them review for their test.
Upcoming Dates and Events:
9/14 - Go Play Save fundraiser Ends
9/15 - Curriculum Night (6:30 or 7:00 sessions - choose one to attend)
9/16 - 1st Reading Test (moved to this date to allow for more practice)
9/16 - Science News Report Due- (extension)
9/17 - Moe’s Night 4pm-9pm
9/18 - Spirit Wear Friday - dress as your favorite book character
9/18 - Reading Response Due (in class assignment)
9/18 - Rounding and Estimating Sums and Differences Summative
9/22- W.E.D. Poster Due (in class assignment)
9/22 - First PTO Meeting (6:30pm)
10/5-10/9 - Fall Book Fair - details will come home at a later date
Week of September 7-11
Dear Parents,
We had another great week at the Kastle!!!! Everyone is settling back into the routines nicely. Thank you for sending in transportation changes with your child. It helped make dismissal run smoothly. I also appreciate you taking time to review the ABC’s of Kensington with your child.
A few reminders…
Students received new chromebooks this week. They were trained on Thursday before they were allowed to start using them. It is important that they follow all of the rules that we’ve gone over. If your child does not use their chromebook properly, they will lose their privilege of having them.
Yes, you can, and are encouraged to, help your child with their homework! Homework is practice and I do not grade it. The students check their own homework to see if they are on the right track. I use formative assessments in the class to check for mastery. If you find that your child is struggling with a certain assignment, write me a note and I will be sure to work with them. (Make sure your child is completing their Text of the Week assignments nightly)
Please remember to sign your child’s agenda every day. I use the agenda as a form of daily communication. Keep an eye out for those ABC stamps! If you haven’t already, take a few minutes to read through the Student Handbook located in the front of your child’s agenda.
This Week: In Reading, we have been focusing our thinking as we read. Students worked on visualizing, making meaningful connections, and asking questions as they read to help grow their thinking. I modeled for them how to complete a reading response based on an independent reading book. ( We will continue to work on this using Keena Ford Second Grade Mix Up , our finished read aloud) They will use my model and their rubric to write their own responses.
In Math, we reviewed addition and subtraction using the standard algorithm. We practiced solving addition and subtraction word problems as well. Friday, students took their first assessment on place value, value of a number, and forms of a number. Your child will bring their graded assessment home this week, make sure you review any incorrect problems with them.
In Writing, students began gathering ideas for a personal narrative piece. Their personal narrative is going to be focused on a small moment in their life. Some of these seed ideas included, thinking about special places and events, “firsts” and “lasts”, “bests and worsts”, and map of their heart.
In SS, students worked on comparing the three regions of NC. They started their brochures of NC in class, finished on Friday, which will be their first graded assignment and their test on Friday.
Next Week: In Reading, we will be working on determining the meaning of unknown words and phrases as we read. Students will be taught how to infer the meaning of words and phrases using context clues and their background knowledge. It is important that they learn to use the clues in text to help them understand the text better. Their first reading test has moved to 9/15 to allow them more time to practice these skills. They can access a reading vocab quizlet to help them study as well. The words on this quizlet are in the text, but are not words they will be tested on. It will help them to understand the text better. It is important that students do not memorize the definitions on quizlet but instead be able to explain the word meanings and use them within their daily speaking and writing.
In Math, we will be rounding numbers to various places up to the hundred thousands place. Students will also estimate sums and differences using their knowledge of rounding. Make sure your child is looking over their math notes nightly.
In Writing, students will select a seed idea to write their first personal narrative. This should be a small moment that took place in their life. We will start drafting beginning, middle, and end of their narratives. We will start off by coming up with ways to “hook” the reader.
In Social Studies, we will complete our 3rd assignment with the focus on Adapt and Modify.
Upcoming Dates and Events:
9/7 - No School - Labor Day
9/11- Social Studies-Adapt and Modify
9/11 - Spirit Wear Friday: Red, White and Blue
9/11 - Math Test (addition, subtraction, and rounding)
9/11 - Reading Response Due (in class assignment)
9/15 - 1st Reading Test (moved to this date to allow for more practice)
9/15 - Curriculum Night (6:30 or 7:00 sessions - choose one to attend if possible)
9/17 - Moe’s Night 4pm-9pm
9/17 - Spirit Wear Friday - dress as your favorite book character
Week of August 31st
What a great first week!
We are off and running in 4th grade! I have had a great week getting to know your kiddos. They are picking up on our routines and expectations very quickly. Thank you to everyone who has sent in supplies and wish list items. I thank you, and your children thank you for helping them be prepared.
A few reminders…
If your child is going home a different way than normally, you must send in a change of transportation slip. And also please remind your child to turn the slip into me in the morning. It is very challenging when they remember that they are going home a different way at 2:00 and try to tell the special areas teacher they are with. Thank you for your help with this.
Yes, you can, and are encouraged to, help your child with their homework! Homework is practice and I do not grade it. The students check their own homework to see if they are on the right track. I use formative assessments in the class to check for mastery. If you find that your child is struggling with a certain assignment, write me a note and I will be sure to work with them.
Please remember to sign your child’s agenda every day. I use the agenda as a form of daily communication. Keep an eye out for those ABC stamps! If you haven’t already, take a few minutes to read through the Student Handbook located in the front of your child’s agenda.
This Week: In Reading, we’ve been working on reviewing rules and expectations of reader’s workshop (what it looks like and sounds like), how to choose “just right” books, and “Buzzing” with their partner (sharing their thinking). I also modeled for them how to complete their “Text of the Week” homework assignments, which will begin this coming week. The TOTW is used to help students practice different reading skills that we’re covering in class. They will be given a new text each Monday to work on throughout the entire week. They will have a different assignment to work on each day Monday through Thursday (they have a list of these assignments in their reader’s notebooks).
In Math, we reviewed place value up to 1 million, understanding the value of a given digit within the place value chart, 3 forms of a # (standard, word, and expanded), and compared #’s up to 1 million. On Friday, students were given a formative to see how well they understood these concepts.
In Writing, students were given a prompt to respond to for their 1st cold write. They were to write about a time they had fun OR a realistic fiction. This cold write will not be part of their grade for the 1st six weeks, it is just to see where they are as writers.
In Social Studies , they learned about the three regions of North Carolina (mountain, piedmont, and coastal plains), resources within the three regions, and ways that people live off the land.
Next Week: In Reading, we will focus our thinking as we read. We will stop and jot our thoughts in order to better understand the text and prepare for writing reading responses. Students will focus on visualizing, making connections, and asking questions as they read.
In Math, we will review addition and subtraction using the standard algorithm. We will also start rounding numbers to various places up to the hundred thousands place. Friday will be our first assessment. You can help your child study by encouraging them to look through their notes and math book.
In Writing, we will begin gathering ideas for a personal narrative piece. This is going to be focused on a small moment in their life. The students will gain inspiration by making a timeline of their lives, thinking about special places and events, “firsts” and “lasts”, and “bests and worsts”. They will learn the steps of the writing process and understand that good writers are constantly revising.
In Social Studies, we will being creating a brochure about the 3 regions. We do have a test on the 9th. I will be sending a quizlet to use. If your child has not used quizlet, they can create an account and I will have a class set up by tomorrow afternoon for them to join.
Upcoming Dates and Events:
9/4 - Spirit Wear Friday
9/4 - Math Test (place value, value of a digit, 3 forms of a #, comparing and ordering #’s)
9/4- Visit NC Brochure Due (in class assignment )
9/9- Social Studies Test
9/10 - Reading Test
9/11 - Spirit Wear Friday
9/11 - Math Test (addition, subtraction, and rounding)
9/11 - Reading Response Due (in class assignment)
Thank you,
Michelle Rathbone