Dear Parents,

    Happy Thursday!  I feel like this week has gone pretty quickly.  The kids think so also.  I am not sure why but it feels like it.  I think the students have finally adjusted to 4th grade.  They understand how important it is to use any time I give them to work on their homework.  I give them things to do every day BUT if they use their time wisely they can get most of it done at school.  There are some days where we have more homework then normal and so some of it may have to come home but it should not take them that long to complete it.  Mainly it would be finishing up some little things.  I try to have them do the things they can complete quickly here, so they are not taking too much home.  When I sign their assignment books, I usually ask them what they have left to take home to complete.  This gives me an idea of what I may need to adjust, or what I can do to help them get more done here at school.  

Language Arts - We have taken the Unit 1 Benchmark test this week.  I break it up into 3 sections. I do not want to overwhelm the students with it all in one day.  We have also done some handwriting during this time and written a Halloween story based off the story  Goldilocks and the Three Bears.  Tomorrow I intend on assigning them their first book report.  This is a cereal box book report.  The students will be asked to read a chapter book that challenges them and then complete the cereal box book report items.  They will need a cereal box and they will need to cover it with paper. You can just wrap it like a package or cut construction paper to cover all sides.  It is up to the student.  I will hand them out pieces of printed papers to help them on the top, and two sides of the box.  These will be filled out, cut out and glued to the proper places.  The front and the back of the box is up to them to create on their own.  It all has to deal with the book.  They need a cereal name that goes along with the book they read.  On the back they will need a game to do.  They also need to include a prize in the box that has to do with their book. Now, they don't really need to have the prize, they just need to talk about it on the box somewhere.  I plan to go over all the directions with the students and give them a print out of directions for them to keep.  I will not give them the items needed until they tell me they are finished reading the book.  This report will not be due until the end of the trimester which is November 13th.  Next week we will go back to a normal language arts week with spelling tests, vocabulary words,and worksheets.

Math - We have finished up chapter 1 in math.  The students have completed a review over the chapter.  They are now working on a "Dress Rehearsal" of the test.  They will do this today and tomorrow.  I will check them over the weekend and on Monday we will go over the test together.  Then on Tuesday they will take the final test.  This one will be online and on paper.  The same test online will be in front of them so they can do all the work on it and then mark their answer on both the paper copy and online.  The online portion helps to sort standards and benchmarks automatically for me.  The paper copy allows me to look at their work and see where they are making mistakes.  It may seem like a lot but it is super easy.  We will begin chapter two at the end of the week.  In this chapter we will begin talking about multiplication.  This is 14 lessons long and really takes us a long time to get through.

Social Studies -  I have introduced the Northeast region to the class.  We have written the 11 states that make up the Northeast in their notebooks along with their capitals.  I am now introducing the interactive notebook to them.  We have put in out front page with all 50 states on it.  Now we are working together through the first set of pages on the United States of America.  They have colored the American Flag, we have created the piece that has the picture of the United States, the abbreviation for it, and the capital.  Today we will work on the fact booklet.  When we have all these things done and cut out, we will glue them in.  They are super excited to get to that part today.  I am always hopeful that this is a book filled with information that the students will want to save for later.  I try to stress for them to so their best handwriting and coloring on these pages.  I will say they don't always listen very well. We will dig into chapter 4 a lot more next week.

CDC Guidelines -  Please refer to Mrs. Simmon's letter she sends out or to our website about the new guidelines about masks from the CDC. It focuses on Gaiters and mask wearing in the classroom, who would quarantine and who would not.  The 4th graders have decided they will wear their mask all the time but will take breaks when needed.  They will take them off for 10 minute periods when they need a break.  I am not mandating this happens, but the kids are making the decision so we can stay in school face-to-face. 

Book It -  We have started keeping track of the minutes we do any free reading in a book of our choice.  We will keep track for the next 6 months.  The kids have an orange calendar where they can keep track.  Please, keep track in minutes only.  So if they read 2 hours please write 120 minutes.  At the end of the month a parent will need to sign the calendar and the students will turn it in.  If they meet the goal at the top of the calendar they will receive a certificate for money off the buffet at Pizza Ranch.  Since we no longer have a Pizza Hut we don't have that as an option.  This month the kids are to read 350 minutes.  This breaks down into 12 minutes a day.  If they do that they will meet the goal easily.  They are also trying to beat Mrs. Sickels.  They are finding that is hard when I have found a good book.  Right now I have found a great book and I am reading most of my evenings.  I have a chart I will keep track of each month for the student.  At the end I total up all their minutes they have read. I give prizes to the top readers.  Happy reading!!

Looks like the weather is going to make for a very nice weekend.  I hope all of you get out and enjoy it.  I keep thinking our nice weekends are going to be few and far between.  I am celebrating a friend's 50th birthday with dinner Saturday night. 

God Bless,

Mrs. Sickels