STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Hugh

(see previous Student Spotlights below)

Hugh implicates himself in every aspect of class and school life. Above you see him giving up personal time with peers to be a friend of the DE Class. He is our resident expert on Classcraft. In class, Hugh regularly assists others with work and routines, as he excels at both. His classmates respect him for his qualities - that'a why they elected him as leader of their class government! 

SECRET QUESTIONS

Write to Mr L your answer in Classcraft for XP!!!

GRADE 3 SECRET CHALLENGE QUESTION: If you push on an object, like a ball, why does it stop? 

GRADE 4 SECRET CHALLENGE QUESTION: What do all the things that make sounds have in common? (solved in class by several students!!!)

AND OUR LATEST WINNERS OF 
SENTENCE STRETCHLETICS 
ARE . . . 

Anna  -  Disciplined approach by multiple improved rewrites of a sentence

Ethan  -  Most-improved sentences.

THIS WEEK'S HOMEWORK

December 14, 2015 (check for updates!)

MONDAY

No Words sheet.

No Library books due Tuesday.

Grade 4: Practice recorder each night (bring it in each day)

Grade 4: Review Science activity from today. We shone a ray of light through the hole of three index cards. When the card was moved the light did not bend or curve to shine through. It was blocked. This showed that light travels through the air in a straight line.

TUESDAY

No Words Pretest in booklet (a parent reads the current week's words for their child to spell. The child marks each word with a check mark or X using the word list.

Math Yellow Group: Worksheet (due Friday)

Math Blue Group: Worksheet (due Friday)

Grade 3: Review Science activity from today. We looked at photos showing forces in action. We also tried sandpaper, paper airplanes, etc. to demonstrate these forces. 

WEDNESDAY

No Words to Fix mistakes from yesterday's home pretest. Write each misspelled word correctly, adding a trick to remember how to avoid the mistake (eg draw the two 'l's in really into a really long giraffe neck and head).

Grade 4: Review Science activity from today. We used a tuning fork to make salt dance and water quiver. This showed that sound is made from vibrations. We also touched our "Adam's Apple" as we spoke to feel the vibrations.



THURSDAY

Grade 4 Math sheets due tomorrow.

No Words to Study mistakes from home pretest.

No Sentence Stretchletics  (see instructions on inside cover of Words duotang)

Grade 3: Review Science activity from today. We walked around the school finding forces in action. We noted that certain forces are more common than others.We also came to the conclusion that there is often ore than one force acting on an object.

FRIDAY NO HOMEWORK

RECENT HIGHLIGHT'S

(Please review, as items may be added) 

(suggestions are in italics)

YAY!  After an extremely tough Classcraft battle where many warriors, mages, and healers came together in vain to protect their clans, the castle (home)work seems to be improving! The King's Inspection found that most records (agendas) were up to date, properly entered and checked off, and contained signatures. Those castle members will be rewarded by the king!

We have a busy season in front of us as we continue to collect food and items for the needy and celebrate Advent. On Wednesday, December 16 our grade 3s will join the other grade 3s to hold the school Advent mass in the gymnasium. We will be carolling in the gymnasium on Friday. 

Our Religion studies focus on celebrations in the family and on Advent, it's meaning, and how it can be a part of our daily living. There are many sites on the internet to start discussions or activities!  In Math the Grade 4s have had their test on figures and solids, and are extending their sorting knowledge in our unit on Data Mangement graphs. Grade 4s have taken responsibility for graphing times to reach class goals such as not using the bathroom for more than necessary, answering questions, lining up quickly and to see which Classcraft group brings in the most irems for the needy. Meanwhile, at home you can review sorting with diagrams by drawing three intersecting circles and have your child place objects in them as you guess how s/he is sorting them - then switch roles. You may want to have your child check that the attributes allow for objects to be placed in all sections .   In Science the Grade 3s have begun discussing forces. Our talk took us to many lessons in advance. We even related burping to concepts such as muscular forces, invisible forces, and even how muscular force transfers the energy to create a different force - wind! After exploring a few forces through scientific magic tricks, we will take a walk around the school to find actual forces and sort them into types (gravity, buoyancy, muscular...) and finding the most common one. Identify forces in your family life (gravity, bouyancy, and friction). The Grade 4s have begun learning about light and sound energy. We talked about how they can harm and help us. They will perform experiments to discover the properties of light and sound - for example, they will use shadows and balls to see how light travels in straight lines and a tuning fork and salt to 'see' sound vibrations. Have your child continue to bring home Science notes to review with you on an evening that you are not too busy or ask what activity was done (see class schedule for when Science occurs). Look for uses of light and sound in life - see how they can harm and help us (looking at the sun, dynamiting, loud headphones / traffic lights, flashlights, warning sirens, timers).  In our Magical Land of Staff Music audio story,  students begin to model with instruments the notes and dynamics. St. Peter's band performed for us and I hope our Super Three Fours recognized some of the musical concepts from our lessons! In Language Wallace and Gromit have lost their inventions so we are writing new ones for them as explanatory texts. I have met with many groups to coach students on individual needs (eg writing concisely, organizing focused paragraphs, editing) and continue to do so as our station work is becoming routine. Stations now often include Osmo spelling, Text type audio CD listening,  iPad or chromebook work, and Smartboard challenges!