Focuses of the Week
In Language Arts:
This week we will read and discuss Because of Winn-Dixie chapters 11-20. We will focus on character traits of the main characters. We will look for specific evidence from the text to support why we choose these traits to describe each character. Ask your children about Opal, Winn-Dixie, Gloria Dump, Miss Franny, Otis, the preacher, and Amanda. Use the chart below to guide your discussion.
Click HERE for the vocabulary words for Chapters 11-20. Vocabulary Wheel sections with word, definition and illustration are due Thursday!
In Writing:
We will continue to focus on narrative writing, building strong sentences and paragraphs, and moving on to multi paragraph essays!
In Math:
This week we will continue to focus on multiplication by 2 digit numbers. Although it may seem different than the way we learned, please know we are focusing on a deeper understanding of the concepts, rather than simply memorizing the algorithm/steps. This may prove frustrating, at first, but in the long run students will develop a deeper understanding and develop persistence in solving difficult problems! Thank you for your support!
In Science:
This week we will complete our investigation on the force of magnetism. There will be a test on Friday! Please encourage your child to share their Science Notebook with you. By teaching you the properties of magnets and the interesting discoveries they made, they will be studying for the test! Click on the FOSS website on the left side for more information.
In Social Studies:
We will complete our studies of Map Skills and California Regions, moving on to California Native American tribes, focusing on customs and culture. If you know a member of a California Native American tribe who would like to speak our 4th graders, to give them a first hand account and a deeper understanding, please let me know.
Ethiopia Update
My daughter, Hailey has arrived in her permanent placement in Bele, Ethiopia. Bele is a small rural town of about 7,000 people. They have found her a room for a model classroom, cleaned out the harvested corn, painted the walls, and are even going to cut her out another window!
She is beyond excited and is now ready for us to send the books we have collected! Hailey told me last night that the children have NO books to read for pleasure, and that our donation would make a remarkable difference in the school AND the lives of many children!
Our next step is to write letters to companies, soliciting donations for shipping of these items. The expense will, most likely, be upwards from $700, so we have our work cut out for us! Please let us know if you have any connections with people in companies, who might be willing to participate and the students of Room 20 will send them a letter!
Thank you for your support, as always!
Click below to read Hailey's blog, if you would like.
Thank you to those who have turned in permission slips and donations for the Olivas Adobe Field Trip on November 4th and also the slip for the Halloween party!
We had 13 people turn in the form to chaperone on the Olivas Adobe trip! We were allowed 4 chaperones, but I was able to increase that number to 6. We will put the slips in a hat on Monday morning and randomly chose 6. All chaperones MUST have a current LAUSD volunteer application and TB test on file in the office, in order to accompany us!
Conferences are coming up soon. (November 9-19)
These will be STUDENT, PARENT, TEACHER Conferences.
A preference sheet will come home this week. I will assign times on a first come, first assigned basis. Please choose a time that is convenient for BOTH you and your child. THANK YOU!
Our Fall Festival is Sunday, October 27th! It's a terrific event! Thank you for your donations to our class theme basket and volunteering to work at our booth! I can't wait to see everyone there!
