Spring Creek Cardinals
4th Grade Newsletter
DECEMBER 2016 EDITION
December is an exciting time at school! We have lots of things going on.
Here are some things that are coming up:
Also check out the events & dates at the end of the newsletter!
Hour of Code Students at Spring Creek are all participating in a district wide event. The Hour of Code is a global movement by Computer Science Education Week and Code.org reaching tens of millions of students in 180+ countries through a one-hour introduction to computer science and computer programming. This is an amazing opportunity for your students to be exposed to computer science. It helps nurture problem-solving skills, logic and creativity. By starting early, students will have a foundation for success in any 21st-century career path.
4th Grade Holiday Party
Tuesday, Dec. 20th 8:30-9:30
We will be celebrating the winter break with a breakfast party in our 4th grade pod. Parents are welcome to attend. A sign up list was sent home by email to indicate what supplies and food you would like to send. Please contact your homeroom teacher with any questions.MATH Update
We have begun to learn how to multiply bigger numbers using various methods. The students have learned how to multiply using a “Multiplication Mat” and “Partial Products”. Ask your child to show you their favorite method. Next week we will begin learning how to use the traditional algorithm for multiplication. I’m sure more of you would be familiar with that method of multiplication. I have told the children that once I teach them all three methods, they are welcome to choose any of the methods to figure out the answer to a multiplication problem, using whichever one is most comfortable for them. Therefore, if your child has chosen another method than you are familiar with, please contact me with any questions you have regarding how to use that method so you can help your child. Please don’t try to “correct” them into doing it the way you know. They will be much more successful with multiplication if they can choose the way that makes the most sense to them.
Finally, before our winter break, I hope to begin what you probably called “long division”. Again, when I teach division, I will be teaching a couple different strategies for division. The students will be learning to divide probably a little differently than you did when you were in elementary school. Therefore, if you have any questions, please feel free to send me an email and I will gladly meet with you to show you what we are doing in math.
The students are doing really well on their multiplication fluency. I’ve had several of them move from mastering all of their multiplication facts in under 6 seconds to trying to master all of them in under 3 seconds! It’s very exciting to see their progress!
READING/WRITING Update
Students started realistic fiction book clubs and should be reading their book club book both at home and at school. Please be sure they bring their book to school everyday. In book clubs, students are in groups of 3-5. They have chosen a book to read together and are discussing their book daily. The goal is to finish the book before the December break. Today when I asked students if they read their book club book last night, hands quickly shot up with huge smiles on their faces! Nothing makes my heart happier! Whatever you are doing to foster a love of reading in your child is appreciated.
Students are publishing their own realistic fiction story. They are doing an amazing job writing scenes and describing the action and emotions taking place in their story. This story we are really focusing on revision. As authors, students are reading their work critically and finding ways to improve their story by adding more detail and description. You should be so proud of your child!
One of my classes has begun a poetry challenge with me. I'm pretty sure the other classes will join in. Last week, I challenged a student to write a poem about butter. We both had a week to write a poem and then shared them on poetry Friday. The student won! This week I am being challenged to write a poem about dogs. I just finished writing the poem and think it is pretty good. I will have to wait and see who the students vote the winner. Checkwww.mrsdungansclass.weebly.com/publishing.html to read our challenge poems.
Students are also writing book review blog entries each week. If your student is not what sure to read next, have them check this page out. www.mrsdungansclass.weebly.com/book-reviews
SCIENCE/SOCIAL STUDIES Update
In Social Studies:
The next three weeks we will look at the threats to Spain's control in Texas, Moses Austin, settlement and colonization of Texas and the impact of Mexico's independence from Spain on Texas.
In Science, we will take our Fall CBM* on Wednesday (12/14).
The week of December 5-9, students will apply their writing skills to science and create their own non fiction book based on a science vocabulary word that we have studied this semester. We have "easy to read" books from the library to use as mentor text and special guests who will drop in throughout the week to help in the writing process. My goal is to have the books complete and ready to read to head start, kindergarten and first grade students at Spring Creek the following week.
As a reminder, Encourage your child to review the vocabulary on the website.
http://mann4thgradeclass.weebly.com/
*CBM stands for curriculum based measure. I'd like to have the 4th graders take this assessment so that all of us (you, me and them) can see where they are in the curriculum with their understanding.
FOR BOTH SUBJECTS - We have started working "stretch" questions as part of our class routine. These questions look a lot like a STAAR test question. They require the students to understand a concept and then apply it to the question to find the answer. Two-part thinking. We discuss the incorrect and the correct answers and the WHY. This will help your student feel comfortable with different formats of test questions and allow them to build and improve their critical thinking skills.
What's Happening This Month!
December 5-9 - Hour of Code Week
December 5 - PTO meeting @ noon
December 6 - Spirit Night at Zaxbys
December 7 & 14- Smencil Sale
December 8- Spelling Bee & CSMS Band Concert
December 9- Author Visit
December 13- 4th Grade Musical Performance at 2:00 and 6:30
December 14- Last day to turn in shoes and books for Chrissy's Closet
December 19 - Sing-a-long at 2:00
December 20 - Holiday Breakfast Party 8:30-9:30
Spring Creek Elementary
Website: http://sc.csisd.org/
Location: 2450 Brewster, College Station, TX
Phone: 979-694-5838
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CSISDSpringCreek
Twitter: @sc_elementary