Parent FYI, week of October 01, 2012

Parents F.Y.I.

Weekly Newsletter for Mr. McRae's 4th Grade & 4th Grade Reading Class

Week of October 01—05

SPELLING WORDS

pound    drawn    howl    scout        jaw    false           bounce   proud    cause    frown   always   sauce      shout     gown    aloud    couch      south     dawn     couple  mount

VOCABULARY /   CHALLENGE /    REVIEW   WORDS /   INUPIAQ

borrow            gnaw          walk        —(r) tuq

eager               prowl         lawn         niGi

lap                   pounce       loud         qaniq

check out       doubt          sound

glaring            scrawny     clown

storyteller

Science Words (from Chapter 1, "Classifying Living Things")

organism                          vascular

microscopic                    non-vascular

bacteria                            fungi

protist

•  Houghton Mifflin Reading, Theme 1, Lesson 3

            Reading Selection: "Tomas and the Library Lady",  Pat Mora

            Theme:  "Traditions"

            Comprehension Strategy:  Predict/Infer

            Comprehension Skill:  Sequence of events

            Spelling:  /ou/ and /o/

            Structural Analysis:  Contractions

            Grammar:  Proper Nouns

            Writing:  Writing and essay

•  Minimum Day, Wednesday, October 03

            4th Graders dismissed at 1:30 p.m.  Teacher collaboration time.  

        

Daily Homework will no longer be posted on Class Blog. 

     I just   can't find the time each day to keep up with it! Instead, I will  use the time to post student work, as well as updates on class topics and progress.  I have posted our Alaska Poems on the   blog;  check them out, they're fun!  The reason I have chosen a blog format instead of a District Web Page is:  a.  I am already familiar with the blog format.  b. It's seems to be a little faster and more reliable than a web page.  c.  It creates a sense for the     students of being "big time published writers."  I will use first          names only for student writing that gets posted, and will use full   discretion for subject matter and internet permissions.  Contact  me if you see anything that you would like to be deleted from our class blog.  The "Default Homework" will be posted for homework, see below.

•  Homework

            Students should do the regular, take-home, paper homework each night for Reading & Math.  Homework reviews class work which is aligned with the state math standards.  For reading    homework, my intention is to integrate SCIENCE and SOCIAL   STUDIES into the reading homework (since it is difficult to find enough time during the day to address these important subjects.)   I will try, when possible, to create Reading Homework which addresses the reading skills of the week as well as science and social studies content.

            However, if the paper homework is lost or destroyed, I will    accept the DEFAULT homework as long as it is only "once in a while."  The DEFAULT HOMEWORK is:

         MATH:  1.  Make a "Times Table" through 12 x 12

                     2.  Write up a +, —, X, or ÷ Word Problem for our class.

         READING:  Read your book for 20 minutes, write a brief  summary, and       

              have your parents sign and date it.

     

•  EDITOR'S CHOICE sentences from last week 

        No sentences last week because it was a spelling review week.