Nicholson
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November 2009
November 15, 2009
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
Dear Parents,
May I begin this week's post by thanking you all for the continuous support of the school and the classroom. In this season of appreciation I would like to extend my personal wishes for health and happiness to your family. To all those families that have sent in food for our Thanksgiving baskets, coins for our "Penny War," and purchased Sally Foster items, please know that your efforts work together to improve our school and community. Please join us for the Thanksgiving VIP luncheon this Wednesday to celebrate our accomplishments thus far this year.
Reading
When you can summarize a story well, you have proof that you understand what you have read. This week, we will continue to chart elements of stories and use a matrix and story maps to compare, contrast, and write engaging summaries of various pieces of traditional literature. Through Aesop's fables, we will look closely at the lessons to be learned and tall tales will enable us to really focus on character study once again. Please encourage the children to read nightly and use time available to earn those Accelerated Reader points. A December book report has been assigned and the requirements were given this past week. Due date will be December 9th!
WRITNG, ENGLISH AND SPELLING
Looking at other student writers helps the children to understand their own strengths and weaknesses and that is what we have been doing. A "Response to Literature" requires that the students use a four-paragraph organizational format to engage the reader, summarize the selection read, provide a supported judgement, and close with a "takeaway ending." This week, we will look closely at the the four different ways we can judge a piece and write an analytic, interpretive, evaluative, and reflective judgement of The Rough Faced Girl by Rafe Martin. The punctuation and designation of types of sentences will be tested and after a quick review of compound sentences, compound subjects and predicates, we will set our sights on parts of speech. Be looking for homework practice on common, proper, singular, plural, and possessive nouns.
We have spent several weeks with one and two-digit divisors and are currently using the area models and various methods to show the relationship it has with multiplication. The distributive property allows us to work with numbers in such a way that we can almost do mental math. This week, we will begin our study of geometry and understand how to distinguish differences between lines, line segments, planes, rays, points, perpendicular, intersecting, and parallel lines. Dust off those protractors because the children need to be able to measure angles at this level. Please DO NOT FORGET that we have the First In Math program to use to practice math facts and computation. Encourage them to earn those stickers! I welcome back Mrs. Jackson's class back this week. The children are working in their unit of Native American study. Using their Interactive Notebook, they will use the standards to develop a booklet on one of the six specific Native American cultures. Classwork this week will have them research the location, food, homes, clothing, and traditions of these tribes. As experts in the Seminole, Nez Perce, Inuit, Kwakitul, Hopi, and Pawnee, they will present their findings and complete a graphic organizer that compares and contrasts these groups. I will encourage them to use time wisely to take notes needed and to complete for homework if that is not possible. NOV. 17TH TERRIFIC KIDS 7:30 AM IN MEDIA CENTER NOV. 16TH TO 20TH BOOK FAIR WITH FAMILY NIGHT TUESDAY, NOV. 17TH 5:30 -7:30 NOV. 18TH VIP LUNCHEON 4TH GRADE /PLEASE RSVP NOV. 18TH 10:00 MEDIA LESSON #2 NOV. 20TH SPIRIT DAY AND CHICK-FIL-A NOVEMBER 23-27TH THANKSGIVING HOLIDAYS NOVEMBER 15TH EMANI A. NOVEMBER 20TH MRS. CROWDER AUDREY C. TERRIFIC KID FOR NOVEMBER FIRST IN MATH TOP STICKER EARNERS ALEX M. OANH N. BLAKE R. CAROLINE W. MIRANDA K. MATH
SOCIAL STUDIES
DATES TO REMEMBER
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
November 01, 2009
Welcome to November
Another teacher once told me that it is now time to put away the Halloween costumes and pull out the turkeys, and that time is here! Thanks so much to Mrs. Bolton, Mrs. Adams, Mrs. Gonzalez, and Mrs. Dawkins for providing the snacks that we shared during the watching of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. It was a terrific way to celebrate the spirit of the season and it correlated with our study of Traditional Literature.
READING
These next few weeks will be spent comparing and contrasting the features and traits of traditional literature. Folktales are stories passed down through generations, generally teach us a lesson, and yet have the same story elements that we have come to analyze in personal and fictional narratives. After reading several, the students will be able to note the differences they see in fables, fairytales, and tall tales. Please share some of the special stories you remember.
WRITING, ENGLISH, AND SPELLING
WRITING
This nine weeks has the students developing a response to literature. After spending a week helping the children really understand each of the 6+1 Writing Traits, they will be more prepared and confident in using them in this benchmark writing. Once again, we will work on the organization of such a response by writing an engaging beginning and summarizing the story they read. This response, however, also requires them to include a judgement and end their paper with a satisying closure. They are up to the task!
ENGLISH
Types of sentences will continue to be the focus of their study. Hopefully, they will be able to use all four sentence types in every aspect of the curriclum, capitalizing and punctuating them accurately.
SPELLING
Realizing that this is a different way to teach spelling, I believe that understanding the patterns that we see when putting words into syllables does help the children to spell to them with more accuracy. Sort 7 introduces and practices the ambiguous vowels of /au/, /aw/, and /al/ in accented syllables. Pages 27, 28, and 29 allow them to cut, sort and practice these words.
Division has caused us some moments of anxiety, I suspect. It is so important that the children practice their facts in order to follow the long division process. This week we will work with two digit divisors and look at several ways to practice this concept. The children had a "sweet" time reaching the conclusion that a quotient is affected by the divisor. Ask them about my "Halloween Dilemma." Just a quick reminder that a wonderful way to practice math facts and concepts is through our First In Math web site. Encourage them to get on every night and earn those stickers. The children will return to Mrs. Jackson this week to use their water cycle knowledge to study the weather. Please check the children's agenda nightly for assignments that give them extension in the day's lesson. Feel free to use the sites available for activities that provide fun and education. MATH
SCIENCE
SOCIAL STUDIES
I welcome back Mrs. Jackson's class this week. The children working in their unit of Native American study. Using their Interactive Notebook, they will use the standards to develop a booklet on one of the six specific Native American cultures. Classwork will have them research the location, food, homes, clothing, and traditions of these tribes. As experts in the Seminole, Nez Perce, Inuit, Kwakitul, Hopi, and Pawnee, they will present their findings and complete a graphic organizer that compares and contrasts these groups. This week, however, be looking for our WOW's to center around the ancient Indian cultures.
NOV. 2 COMPUTER LAB POWERPOINT NOV. 3 NO SCHOOL ELECTION DAY NOV. 4 GUIDANCE NOV. 5 MEDIA CENTR LESSON AND CHECKOUT NOV. 6 PICTURE PARENT MR. DITCHEN NOV. 12 P.T.A. MEETING AND 5TH GRADE PERFORMS (6:45) NOV. 13 COMPUTER LAB AND MEDIA LESSON #2 HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSI ON NOV. 11TH EMANI ON NOV. 15TH TERRIFIC KID FABIAN R. FIRST IN MATH WORKERS ALEX. M. MIRANDA K. OANH N. BLAKE R. THINGS TO REMEMBER
CONGRATULATIONS TO..
SPECIAL AWARDS
October 18, 2009
Happy Halloween
What a wonderful time was had at the Fall Carnival! A special note of appreciation goes to Mrs. Dawkins, Mrs. Bolton, and Mrs. Renaud, all of whom helped to make it the success it was. Any pet lover would have been impressed with our Pet Lovers basket. Karaoke was a sure hit with the talents of some of my students and parents turning into total “Rock Stars.” Report cards went home on Friday and I explained the grading procedures before the children left. It is a slight change to see the letter grades. Please return the signature card and envelope and if questions or concerns, do not hesitate to call. Our First in Math program is up and running and the competition is getting fierce. Congrats to Alex M. for earning the most stickers in the school. Way to go, Alex!!
Math
With the benchmark of the first nine weeks behind us, some of the students may be moving to another teacher. Division will be my focus as we analyze what that operation is and determine its relationship with multiplication. Manipulatives are a “hands on” way to model this operation. Towards the end of the week, we will look closely at patterns and be using a real world example to determine the affect the divisor has on the quotient. Practice those facts with the fun activities offered in our First in Math website.
READING AND WRITING
The children are beautifully sharing the Patricia Polacco books that they have read. Using the newest in technology, the ELMO can even display the book’s cover and support their summaries, connections, predictions, and questions. Just a quick reminder that their October book reports are due in on Wednesday (10/21). Cannot wait to see their “Houses” and hear their overview of the books they have read. We will be starting Traditional Literature and begin to compare fairytales, fables, myths, and tall tales. With takeaway endings, the children will have the opportunity to write their own personal narrative from a benchmark prompt.
SPELLING and GRAMMAR
In spelling the children will work with the ambiguous vowels sounds of oy, oi, ow, and ou. The sort requires them to use the first and second syllable placement to recognize the difference that placement makes. As is always the case, they will also have to recognize some words do not fit this pattern and are noted as “oddball.” In grammar study we will begin to join two simple sentences with conjunctions and form compound sentences. Be looking for this practice to come home, as well as practice in the four different types of sentences.
SOCIAL STUDIES
With Science coming to an end for this grading period, the children will be back in their homeroom and working in their unit of Native American study. Using their Interactive Notebook, they will use the standards to develop a booklet on one of the six specific Native American cultures. Classwork will have them research the location, food, homes, clothing, and traditions of these tribes. As experts in the Seminole, Nez Perce, Inuit, Kwakitul, Hopi, and Pawnee, they will present their findings and complete a graphic organizer that compares and contrasts these groups. This week, however, be looking for our WOW's to center around the ancient Indian cultures.
Science
The children have completed their first unit of study with the water cycle, but the learning does not have to stop. Please check out the learning websites posted under the pages to the left.
Healthy Choices Week
Wellstar Nutrition visits Monday 10/19
Bus Driver Appreciation Tuesday, Oct. 20th
Terrific Kids Celebration Tuesday, Oct 20th ( Tuesday {Make Up Pictures} Lifetouch
TERRIFIC KID FOR OCTOBER Fabian R. FIRST IN MATH AWARD Alex M. STUDENT COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE Tyler B. ALTERNATE Josi V.
October 04, 2009
FALL IS HERE!
Dear Parents,
The weather has turned cooler and we are quickly approaching the end of our first nine week grading period. Thanks to all of you who have supported the Room Parent Celebration Fund. Many have not yet replied and once again, I am asking for your help to support us this year. Those who joined us for math night enjoyed the spaghetti dinner and the engaging math games that the Kennesaw student teachers provided. A special note of appreciation for all those items sent in to help out our Trickum Road Fire facility. They will be so happy to get all those canned goods! Please check out the pictures below from our visit to the Fire Safety Village.
Math
For the next two weeks, we will be learning how to use an area model, the display model, the distributive property, and standard algorithm to multiply two and three digit numbers. Be looking for homework nightly for practice in these higher level thinking skills. Continue to practice multiplication and division facts in order to assure computation accuracy. Feel free to use the links to the left, under Useful Websites, to give the children a technology boost as well.
The children are really learning from one of the best personal narrative writers-Patricia Polacco. This past week, they did a character (D.S.T.F.L) web using her book, Mr. Lincoln's Way. A "Shared Pen" helped us all as we wrote a summary about Eugene. Her book, Pink and Say, proved how asking questions before, during, and after reading a book helps us to really improve our comprehension when we read. This coming week, we will be practicing the additional good reading strategies of making connections and using predictions using My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother and The Lemonade Stand. Reading
OCTOBER BOOK REPORTS
The mysteries have been chosen and the children are excited about their first book report. The due date is October 21. Please look for the visual and written requirements that came home last week. Let them use their creativity to design a house with an October theme. Please remind them to work a bit each night to meet the written and visual requirements. "A picture is worth a thousand words" and to help with an idea, I have included one saved from the previous year. Hope it helps.
SPELLING and GRAMMAR
It is truly a learning year for us all as we use our Words Their Way series. I am amazed how quickly the children are picking up the idea of sorting words based on the pattern expressed for the week. Learning to hear and break the words into syllables is helping them spell them more correctly. Sort #5 has them reviewing Vowel Pairs /ai/, /ee/, /ea/ in accented syllables. Mondays are spent introducing the sort as a whole class and Tuesdays have them practicing the skill in pairs. On Wednesdays we have time to cut and paste the words onto their book pages and generally comes with an assignment at home. Please check agendas to see what they are working on. On Fridays there is a sorting/spelling test. Please check out Spelling City link to have fun with these words. Working with Subjects and Predicates, both simple and complete has been our focus. Classwork and homework has provided the practice. The children have been using colors to anaylze a sentence and code the its various parts. Plan to do a quick review of types of sentences, so be looking for practice with this concept coming home.
SOCIAL STUDIES
With Science coming to an end for this grading period, the children will be back in their homeroom and working in their unit of Native American study. Using their Interactive Notebook, they will use the standards to develop a booklet on one of the six specific Native American cultures. Classwork will have them research the location, food, homes, clothing, and traditions of these tribes. As experts in the Seminole, Nez Perce, Inuit, Kwakitul, Hopi, and Pawnee, they will present their findings and complete a graphic organizer that compares and contrasts these groups. This week, however, be looking for our WOW's to center around the ancient Indian cultures.
Science
The children have completed their exchange with Mrs. Jackson. They started the test this past Friday and will have a chance to complete it this Monday. The learning does not have to stop, however. Please check out the learning websites posted under the pages to the left.
Early October Happenings
October 5 Computer Lab- Learning Powerpoint
October 7 Guidance with Mrs. Insogna (12:00-12:45)
October 9 Art Fundraiser comes home
October 9 End of the first Nine-Week Grading Period
October 5-9 Fire and Police Appreciation Week
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO... Coming Soon
Jacob D. Oct. 12th
Tyler B. Oct. 22
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR TERRIFIC KID
AMBER G.
FIRE SAFETY VILLAGE Come visit with us!!!
Firefighter Land explains to the children about the steps to follow if a fire breaks out in the house.
Malerie C. uses the escape ladder to exit the house
The firefighter talks to the children about the uniform of a police officer and what to do if a stranger approaches
The children demonstrate the importance of railroad track safety
They had so much fun riding the bike safety course and learned a great deal while doing so
September 24, 2009
Welcome to Our Fourth Grade Year, 2009-2010
Dear Parents,
Picture day is behind us and many have asked if they can get another chance to purchase them. Yes, the company will be back to Nicholson for retakes on October 20th. A special thanks goes out to Mrs. Bolton and Mrs. Dawkins for helping me organize a great year of celebrations. We simply cannot do it without your financial help. Their letter went home several weeks ago and I appreciate those who have responded. Please do not forget!
Math
With these first nine weeks quickly moving along, we need to work with the concepts of multiplication and division. We have worked on reviewing the properties of multiplication, the relationship it has with division, and gradually moved to Order of Operations, Algebraic Expressions, and Patterning to complete an Input and
Output chart. For the next two weeks, we will learning how to use an area model, the display model, the distributive property, and standard algorithm to multiply two and three digit numbers. Be looking for homework nightly for practice in these higher level thinking skills. Continue to practice multiplication and division facts in order to assure computation accuracy. Feel free to use the links below to give the children a technology boost as well.
READING
Our notebooks are filling up nicely as we practice the strategies of great readers. With a personal narrative as our first benchmark writing, it is essential to listen to one of the experts, Patricia Polacco. Through her, we will analyze the elements of some great personal stories and complete a matrix of those stories. That will allow us to learn how to summarize a book, use a flow map, a character study organizer, and develop questions. As we review the Cobb County Standards for excellent writing, we will work to develop a paper that has an engaging begining, a detailed, descriptive, action-filled middle, and a takeaway ending. We will spend several days this week generating ideas for this paper. Please talk with your children about family events, celebrations, or experiences that would make for a terrific story that they could write.
OCTOBER BOOK REPORTS
The mysteries have been chosen and the children are excited about their first book report. The due date is October 21. Please look for the visual and written requirements that came home last week. Let them use their creativity to design a house with an October theme. Please remind them to work a bit each night to meet the written and visual requirements. "A picture is worth a thousand words" and to help with an idea, I have included one saved from the previous year. Hope it helps.
SPELLING
SOCIAL STUDIES
To Mrs. Jackson's Parents,
The children are developing their interactive notebooks as they begin to learn about Our Land and Its People. Each day we will work on a RAP (Review and Preview), a VIP (Very Important Paper), and they will be bringing home a WOW (Words of Wisdom) which is a homework assignment from that lesson. This notebook is important to their grade. The test for this chapter will be this Friday and a study guide is coming home along with the grading criteria for their Interactive Notebook.
Science
The children are now exchanging with Mrs. Jackson's class and have begun to develop their notebooks for Science.We are lucky to have such a passionate-about-science teacher, so be sure to ask the children about their fabulous lab experiments. Please check agendas for homework assignments that will be a part of their water cycle and science grade. Check out the learning websites posted under the pages to the left. Mrs. Jackson will be testing the children this Friday so remind the children to study the materials provided.
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
Some events have been rescheduled !!!
Spirit Day and Chick-Fil A {Let's help Clarksdale Elementary} September 25
Math Pretest 2nd IMI September 28
Stevi B's Night September 28
Game Night and Spaghetti Dinner will be Tuesday (9/29)
Terrific Kid Celebration Tuesday, the 29th at 7:30 AM
Family Movie Night * Space Buddies 7:00 Oct. 2.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO... Coming Soon
Jacob D. Oct. 12th
Tyler B. Oct. 22
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR TERRIFIC KID
AMBER G.
FIRE SAFETY VILLAGE Come visit with us!!!
Firefighter Land explains to the children about the steps to follow if a fire breaks out in the house.
Malerie C. uses the escape ladder to exit the house
The firefighter talks to the children about the uniform of a police officer and what to do if a stranger approaches
The children demonstrate the importance of railroad track safety
They had so much fun riding the bike safety course and learned a great deal while doing so
August 22, 2009
Welcome to Our Fourth Grade Year, 2009-2010
Starting an exciting year in learning!
Dear Parents,
Allow me to thank you again for your support and understanding while we celebrated the wedding of my daughter. Mrs. King truly enjoyed the children and was able to accomplish all that we had planned during my absence. It was wonderful to have many of you attend our Open House. Your enthusiasm and positive commitments were certainly appreciated. If you were unable to make it, I do hope that the information was delivered through your sons/daughters. Feel free to contact me with your questions. A big thank you goes out to Mrs. Dawkins and Mrs. Bolton for volunteering to be our Room Parents and to Mrs. Dawkins, Mr. Ditchen, and Mrs. Barnes who will share their expertise as our Art Master Parents. Meetings will be announced, so be checking our Nicholson website for those dates. Please return those Performing Arts permission forms along with envelopes to assure these wonderful events can take place. Also, a quick reminder that I would like to have the stapled behavior/reflection sheet, along with the graded papers, returned each Friday. Agendas also need to be signed Thursday night, but it is always a great idea to review with your child each night.
Math
Our first 9 weeks 4th grade IMI enabled us to "compact" the children in order to support them as successful math students. Beginning with place value and number sense, we will quickly move through estimation and rounding, comparison of and ordering of numbers through millions. At this level, the children will need to read and write numbers in standard, word, and expanded forms. Decimals will also be included. Please continue to practice computation facts in all four operations nightly. Practice math on the link below.
READING/WRITING/SPELLING
The notebooks have been started with the children adding their personal touches to each cover. As strategic readers they are learning how to choose books, when to abandon a book, and to broaden their reading diet. With the media center orientation behind us, they have been asked to choose AR books to read in the classroom and at home. It has been our directive to have the children read a minimum of 25 books this year and we are challenging the children to achieve a goal of, at least, 3 AR points weekly. Please go to our media website to view the newest in technology and have your children interact via the accounts they have set up. With writing, we are establishing the writing workshop in the classroom and in their notebooks. At first, Descriptive Writing will be our focus, then we will using our 6+1 Writing Traits to do some Narrative Writing. As we test each child's reading level with a DRA program, it will be necessary for the children to work silently and independently this next few days on reading and writing. Words Their Way also starts this week. Look for the words and books coming home. In order to practice the words, you are welcome to visit the following website:
SOCIAL STUDIES
The Interactive Notebooks have proven to be engaging and a great way to organize their learning. As we open up our books to study the land, its use, and our economy, you will see homework listed as WOW's. (Words of Wisdom) Please have the children decorate each page and do their best to complete the work assigned with effort and understanding. We hope to exchange with Mrs. Jackson for Science within the next two weeks. Their Interactive Notebooks will focus on the Water Cycle for this first grading period.
Please note: Social Studies Test is coming this Thursday(9/3/09)! The children will be given a study guide to review. Interactive Notebooks will also be graded.
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
August 24 Stevi B.'s Night
August 25 Fire Safety Village Field Trip (9:00-1:30)
Ausust 26 Guidance (Mrs. Insogna)
August 27 Sally Foster Begins
August 28 Spirit Day and Chick-Fil-A (AM sale)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...
Oanh N. Aug. 3
Mark and Matthew B. Aug. 10
Miranda K. Aug. 11
Amber G. Aug. 13
Erik. C. Aug. 14
Malerie C. Aug. 17
Dylan R. Aug. 26
Caroline W. Sept. 1
Reilly D. Sept. 9
*PLEASE DO NOT FORGET SURVEY PERMISSION FORMS FOR BULLY PREVENTION SURVEYS
April 27, 2009
April 26, 2009
Springing Into the Last of Our Year!!
Testing is just about over and the children seemed focused and dedicated to doing their best. Let me thank you all for your support in getting the children to school each day and on time. Hopefully, the results will arrive before the summer vacation begins. If you have not sent in your 3 stamps, please do so at your earliest convenience. Almost all of our registration forms have been received.
READING
Although the covers of her books appear as if they are written for younger readers, the children have come to realize that Gail Gibbons provides a great deal of information about each topic. With her books, Sunken Treasure and The Honeymakers, we will review the strategies of cause and effect, summarizing, and questioning. The children will then be working independently to read six more of her nonfiction titles. Look for their summaries and what they learned about this author in their Reader's Notebook. With your Boosterthon money, I have purchased a "Flip Video Camera" and am currently filming the children's biography book reports. They look like little movie stars! Will try to get these on the blog within the next week or so.
WRITER'S WORKSHOP
For this last nine weeks, the children are required to write a persuasive essay that will engage the reader, make a "thesis" statement about what they believe, and provide relevant evidence to support their three reasons. We will "share a pen" and write an class essay about being the oldest or youngest in our family. Feel free to add your opinions, mom and dad.
ENGLISH AND SPELLING
Just about done with our Parts of Speech mobiles! Just for fun, will do a quick mini-unit on Prepositions. The children should enjoy making their Preposition House as an art/english project. With our Spelling Word Wizards just about filled, we will be adding more homophones and words with the /yoo/ and /u/ sound with their various spelling patterns. Continue to review those all important 4th grade Core Words as we will take our final asssessement test of those words in the next few weeks.
MATH
With our CRCT testing over, the next big summative assessment is the IMI. Cubes, rectangular and hexagonal prisms, cones and spheres! These are just but a few of the space figures the children will be making and analyzing. Can you tell me how many faces, edges, and vertices there are in a octagonal prism? We will also be continuing to work with graphs and coordinates. LAST CHANCE! Will try to test those students who have not yet made it to the 100 and 100+ Club this Friday(5/1/09) Come on, YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!
Happy Birthday
April 22 Tiego B. May 15 Andrea M.
May 8 Jesus A. May 31 Nic W.
We would like to recognize those students who have a summer birthday
August 6 Baily M. July 5 Chandler B.
July 31 Stephanie C. June 12 Rachel R.
June 13 Andrew S.
COOL CAT AWARDS FOR OUR CLASSROOM
TERRIFIC KID AWARD: (April) RACHEL R. (May) MIRELLA M.
Weather Persons Mackenzie E. Tyler K. Andrew S.
WRITING FAIR WINNER FOR THE 4TH GRADE
JESSICA B.
MAY 1 LAST DAY FOR 100 AND 100+ CLUB MEMBERS
MAY 5 FIRST GRADE PERFORMANCE (7:00)
MAY 6 STARGAZING FOR OUR NEW KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS
MAY 14 FIELD DAY (RAINDATE MAY 15)
MAY 19 FOURTH GRADE AWARD CEREMONY (8:15 A.M.)
MAY 22 LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
March 24, 2009
Looking Forward to Spring Break?
Dear Parents,
In just more than a week, we will be enjoying a well-deserved rest. Thank you so much for continued support of the school and its commitment to a rigorous and all-around balanced education. As you have noticed, many of the notifications of upcoming events are being posted on our school's website. Please check periodically to be certain that you are not missing some of the family learning events that are being held in March and in April.
READING
Nonfiction continues with the focus on an outstanding author, Gail Gibbons. With 100 different books on such topics as Deserts, Sunken Treasure, Dragons, and Rain Forests, the children will find something for every interest. We will use her books to learn more about her as an author and a person, but also to practice the strategies of cause and effect, summarizing, and "sketching-to-stretch," which is visualizing. Our Reader's Notebooks will become a practical resource as we continue to fill them with graphic organizers. Our next book report will be Biographies. Look forward to seeing a written requirement and a poster figure to dress with a due date of mid-April.
ENGLISH
Hope that you are seeing our work with Daily Oral Language coming home with the children's graded papers each week. I am amazed at the progress they are demonstrating in regards to varied grammar and mechanics skills.With the CRCT coming soon, these daily reviews will certainly help to review this area. Writer's Workshop is using some of the same standards of engaging the reader, establishing a context, and ending with a satisfying closure. This time we will be using these skills to write a persuasive essay. As parents, we know this comes pretty naturally. In the area of parts of speech, adverbs are telling how, where, when, and to what extent, an action is done.
MATH
Multiplication and division are back! Continue to practice and review these facts as we begin to work with these operations with decimals. Using arrays, calculators, and base-ten manipulatives, the children will color in, display, and eventually compute these problems. Knowing how and why the decimal point moves is a huge part of concept.
SOCIAL STUDIES
The children seemed to enjoy their roles of protesting colonists, Revolutionary War heroes, and framers of the Constitution at the Youth Museum. As we continue to study the differences among these three groups of colonies, and their opposition to English control, the resulting war with England results in a new nation establishing its own government.
HERE'S WHAT HOPPING IN!
March 27th Spring Fling "80's" Style Dance 6:00-8:00
April 3rd Arts Enrichment Day
April 6th-10th Spring Break
April 21st-April 27th CRCT TESTING * See Nicholson site for link to practice
Congratulations
Terrific Kids
Baily M. (February) and Rachel R.(March)
Jessica B. for 4th Grade Cobb County Writing Fair Entry
Our CHORUS MEMBERS FOR A FABULOUS PERFORMANCE!!!!!
Tyler K. Baily M.
Mackenzie E. Leda D.
Rachel R. Jessica B.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
. Kobe O. April 6th Mackenzie E. April 12th
Hayley W. April 8th Tiego B. April 22nd
March 08, 2009
Let's March Into This Month Of Learning
Dear Parents,
Let me express my appreciation for the support of the Fun Run. Your pledges and commitments to those promises will help our school continue to advance in the area of technology. Please send in those remaining few as soon as possible. With our Youth Museum Field Trip coming on March 23, we ask that our permission forms be sent in by the 12th of March. Please be sure to link into the practice CRCT tests from our Nicholson web site.
READING
Informational text continues to be our focus. The children have been presenting their informational book reports. Having the opportunity to fill out an evaluation of each poster or book jacket has proven to be engaging and informative for all. We have taken the test and completed the journals for our novel, The Lion to Guard Us. This week the children will work independently and test their nonfiction feature skills.
Writing
With the third nine weeks ending soon, we have chosen our three topics on colonial living and finished taking notes. This week we will create main idea towers and develop and add our own special voice to this five paragraph paper. Checking out how authors begin their informational pieces and end them with engagement should help us as we do the same. Rough and final drafts will be the focus of our Language Arts block this week.
Three beautiful, purple flowers and we begin our study of those parts of speech that make our writing specific and colorful- adjectives. What are they and how can we use them to compare things? Using -er and -est is just one way, but when do we use more or most? What about predicate adjectives? Let's not count out those suffixes that magically make a verb, such as adjust to an adjective such as adjustable. Lots to learn and finding them in magazines to add to our mobile should be easy. This Friday is the test!
MATH
Fractions and decimals have a definite relationship as the children are quickly learning. There are equivalent fractions, such as 1/2 and 2/4, and 0.3 does equal 0.30. They can be compared and ordered, added and subtracted, and even placed on number lines. All of these concepts are what you should be seeing coming home each evening. With our third IMI test approaching we will also be working with measures of weight. Once again, we need your help in helping many of your children learn our basic facts. Each Spirit Day at Nicholson brings with it another chance at making our 100 and 100+ Clubs. The students will be posting their 4th IMI Pretest on the computer this Wednesday.
SOCIAL STUDIES
Friends and maps will be the order of the next few weeks as the students work in pairs to use their geographical skills to compare the settling of the Middle, New England, and Southern Colonies. Land and climate affected why and how their economies grew as they did. They will be filling up their Interactive Notebooks with lots of information about the people and places that formed our Thirteen Colonies. Be looking for permission forms about the upcoming visit to Cobb County's Youth Museum at the end of March. The cost is minimal, but the opportunity to dress up as a colonist and join the Sons of Liberty at the Boston Tea Party is so much fun. Forms and money due the 12th
Could Mrs. Jackson make it any more fun? Flashlights and mirrors? I hope that the children are sharing with you their activities and experiments that are greeting them each day with their study of light and sound. Make sure that you are checking their Interactive Notebooks and Agendas for homework and tests coming each week. Certainly not fun, but necessary, is the study of contagious and noncontagious diseases in Health these next few weeks. Reading and writing about what we can do to prevent the spread of bacteria is wrapped up in a packet that the children will be working on at home and in school. This week, Lesson 3, Fighting Contagious Diseases will be the assignment.
CONGRATULATIONS
To our Meteorologists:
Jessica B., Chandler B., Baily M. and Andrea M.
To our Checking It out Book Stars:
Nick W,. Kobe O., and Chiara B.
To our Terrific Kids:
Baily M. and Mackenzie E.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
TYLER K. March 1st CHIARA B. March 12th
BRADLY S. March 10th
THINGS TO NOTE ON YOUR CALENDARS
MARCH 12TH END OF GRADING PERIOD / YOUTH MUSEUM $ DUE
MARCH 16TH THIRD IMI POSTEST IN MATH
MARCH 19TH SECOND GRADE PERFORMANCE PTA
MARCH 19TH REPORT CARDS GO HOME
MARCH 27TH SPIRIT DAY
