Ms.Jackson

Team Jackson: Week of November 9, 2009

 
It is hard to believe that there are only two more weeks until our Thanksgiving break!  These weeks will be very busy as  we move toward the completion of the first semester of school.  I want to thank every parent that signed the letter concerning lunch room exit behavior.  Our behavior has been much improved this week due to some rule changes and extra effort from each class member.  I am very proud of the class and knew we could make these positive changes through our combined team effort.

Math:  In my math class, we continue to move through the long division process, teaching and assessing all parts individually. Toward the end of the week we will be completing some new activities to learn all about coordinates.  Also, I have issued a challenge to my homeroom class to really work harder on First in Math.  At Nicholson, the second graders have taken over the lead and in fact they are 63rd in the nation!  I know our fourth graders can take on this challenge and succeed.  Also parents, academic research has riven that computer based math programs DO result in increased math achievement.

Reading Workshop:  We are continuing our evaluation of the characteristics of traditional literature by reading fables and tall tales. The class has really enjoyed not only the stories themselves but also the "how" and "why" they were written. This week I will be meeting with reading groups to analyze two traditional tales from our new language arts series.

Writing Workshop:  Most of the class has almost completed their drafts of the realistic short stories.  Our goal is to complete them by Thursday. Toward the end of the week, we will begin a very structured response to literature.  This genre is the most complex writing we will do in fourth grade.  We have already practiced writing engaging beginnings, summaries, and closings, so now we will add judgments to our writing.

Spelling:  Sort 11, and we will be having our spelling assessment on sorts 10,11 and 12 on November 20, 2009.  The new words will be coming home on Monday.  As always, practice on Spelling City.

Grammar:  After we complete predicates we will begin types of sentences.

Science: My class continues to work in Social Studies with Mrs. Crowder. Mrs. Crowder's class will complete their weather folders this week and begin simple machines next week.  Please check out the science web sites on the pages to the left.

November 16, 2009: Academic Alerts sent home

November 16-20, 2009: Book Fair in the Media Center

November 18, 2009: Fourth grade VIP luncheon at 1:00.

November 23-27, 2009:  TThanksgiving Holidays

Team Jackson: Week of November 2, 2009

 
It is hard to believe that it is the beginning of November, the year is passing so quickly. Everyone really enjoyed Penny Wars, a thank you to all for the contributions to the American Heart Association. The book report presentations are almost complete, look for the grades by this Thursday.

Math:  Our class is currently working on division through station teaching. We pretested the division skill and divided our class to leveled teaching groups.  We will continue to work on long division. Our next skill will be geometry.

Reader's Workshop:  Traditional literature, the students continue to enjoy fairy tales.  We will read Rumpelstiltskin this week.  Toward the end of the week we will read a Native American story and write a summary of this fable.  As the nine weeks continues, we will study both fables and folktales.

Writer's Workshop:  The student's have almost completed their story planners for their realistic short stories.  We will work toward completion of writing the entire week.

Spelling:  Sort 10.  Please review this sort and words on Spelling City.

Grammar: Complete subject and predicates.

Science:  My class will go to Mrs. Crowder's to study Native Americans for the next couple of weeks.  Please do not forget about Science.  As the week ended, we were just beginning to study simple machines, please review the simple machines web site on the page at the left. There is some cash to anyone who can name six simple machines  for me on Monday.

November 3: No School, Teacher Workday

November 16:  Academic Alerts

November 16-20:  Book Fair in the Media Center

November 23-27:  Thanksgiving Holidays: No School

Team Jackson

On Wednesday of this week we will start Penny Wars, with all proceeds going to the American Heart Association.  Please bring in all your pennies, silver coins and dollars for this fun activity for a great cause.The book reports look great and we will be displaying them in the media center, if you have a chance drop by and look at their wonderful work! If your student has not done their presentation, please help practice.  Every student who presented last Thursday read every word of their oral report.

Math:  In our class we have been working on double and triple digit multiplication.  Some of the students have struggled with this skill, because of poor fact knowledge.  Please practice math facts daily with your student.  Also, they can practice these skills using a game format with First in Math (direct link on page at left). Some of the students will be moving to long division this week.

Reader's Workshop:  Our focus this nine weeks is traditional literature.  We have been reading classic fairy tales, and we were amazed that some of our students have never heard these tales.  This past week we read Snow White and Seven Dwarfs, we enjoyed making comparisons to the Walt Disney version.  Currently we are reading the classic Sleeping Beauty. In addition this week we will be reading a fictional narrative to assist with character development in our realist short stories.

Writer's Workshop: We are continuing to practice the individual parts of our fictional narratives. This week we will develop our challenges or problems and the story event to complete the plot.  After a review of conclusions we will begin our drafts and work toward our completed realistic short stories.

Spelling:  Sort 9 and we will have a spelling test on the words given last Monday this Friday.  Please practice on Spelling City, quick link under pages.

Grammar:  We have completed subjects and predicates, we will work on simple subjects and simple predicates and assess this week.  Types of sentences are next.

 
Science:  Weather folders are almost complete, we will have a quick assessment and move on to simple machines toward the end of the week. If you can tell us about El Nino, it is worth $100 dollars. Next week my class will go back to Social Studies and begin a unit on Native Americans.  The upcoming Science unit will be force and motion followed by light and sound.

Important Dates:

Tuesday:  Computer Lab at 12:45

Wednesday-Friday: Penny Wars

Friday:  October 30th Spirit Day and Chick-Fil-A biscuits

Saturday: October 31st, set your clocks back!

Team Jackson

Welcome to First in Math! As of this past Wednesday, Nicholson has access to a wonderful new computer based math program. All students have a password to use access the web site from both school and at home.  The students earn computer stickers and compete against other class members, other schools across the state and nation.  So far our class daily winner has been Austin and he has been wearing the winner's laniard. Please encourage your student to practice each night. Please click the First in Math link under pages for easy access.

BOOK REPORTS ARE DUE ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21ST!

 
Math:  My class will review double digit by double and triple digit multiplication.  We will continue to practice area models with manipulatives before solving the problem using the algorithm.

Reader's Workshop:  During our second nine weeks we will be studying traditional literature.  This genre inludes fairy tales, folk tales and fables. The students will use this type of literature to compose a response toward the middle of the nine weeks.

Writer's Workshop:  We will continue our narrative writing by reviewing the elements of of traditional literature and composing our own realisitic short story.  We have studied characters and will learn the remaining parts of a story by the end of the week.

Spelling:  Spelling Sort 8.  Please click on the link to Spelling City to access the words for sort 8 and the list of spelling words for the assessment on sorts 8/9.

Grammar:  We will be studying subjects and predicates, this includes both simple and complete subjects and predicates.

Science:  My class has been making a weather folder in class.  At the beginning of the week we will complete weather maps and climate verses weather.  At the end of the week we will take the pretest for the second nine weeks.  Our next topic will be simple machines.

October 7, 2009

As we complete the last week of our first nine weeks, we will be very busy. It is important that all students continue to take AR tests in order to complete the twenty-five book requirement in fourth grade.  Reading is homework every night!  Please encourage your child to read.

Math: In my math class we continue to solve double digit by double digit multiplication problems.  Toward the end of the week we will begin division.  If your child does not know his/her math facts practice every night.  The math page to the the left has math fact practice games.

Reader's Workshop:  We continue to learn strategies to improve our reading comprehension.  This week we will reviewed the definition of compare/contrast and completed a graphic organizer on Pink and Say and Thank You Mr. Falker. At the end of the week we will work in pairs to partner read a Patricia Palocco book and write a summary.

 
Writer's Workshop:  Most students have chosen their topics, learned about engaging beginnings, organization and will practice "show don't tell" later this week.

Spelling:  Word Sort 6, spelling lists went home Monday practice spelling at Spelling City on the page at left. Sort 6 assessment this Friday.  Our next spelling test will be Friday, October 16th.

Science:  Mrs. J's class is back in Science.  We will be completing a weather folder project to learn all about weather. 

Important Dates:

Friday: Computer Lab

Wednesday: October 14th:  Art Master

Friday: October 16th: Fall Carnival

Team Jackson September 28, 2009

 We are glad that everyone is safe and sound after a very wet week. Our family game night and dinner has been rescheduled for this Tuesday. Please come for a wonderful spaghetti dinner and watch Mrs. Jackson debut her skills as I help serve dinner. All proceeds from the dinner will benefit Relay for Life, come out for food and fun on Tuesday. Also, remember movie night is this Friday!

Math:  This week we will begin double digit by  double digit multiplication using area models and the traditional algorithm.  Please continue to practice math facts.  At the end of the week we will begin division. Again, practice those division facts.

Reader's Workshop:  We will continue to evaluate personal narratives by analyzing story elements within these texts.  Our special concentration this week will be character development.

Writer's Workshop: This week we will begin writing our personal narratives.  Early in the week we will learn how to organize our writing and then how to choose our topic.  At the end of the week, we will practice learning how to use figurative language in our narratives.

 

 

Spelling:  Our spelling test on the words from sorts 3, 4, and 5 will be on Wednesday.  Please practice all the words that Mrs. Langosch has given you to be prepared for this assessment.

 

Grammar:  We will continue with linking and helping verbs. Next week we will start subject and predicates. Also please practice this part of speech by using the sites on the page under grammar.

Science:  My class continues to be in social studies with Mrs. Crowder.  Due to poor performance by most of the class, we will be retesting on the Water Cycle this Friday.  Remember the students must know the parts of the Water Cycle and be able to apply that knowledge on the test.  Please study for this retest!

Team Jackson: September 21, 2009

Academic Alerts will be coming home on Monday, September 21st.  Alerts are sent home for students who currently have a D or an F in a particular subject.  If your student receives an alert, please use the strateiges on the alert to help them imrpove their grade before report cards.

Math:  We have been using manipulatives to model our three digit by one digit problems. We will have an assessment on Monday.  Tuesday we will begin two digit by two digit multiplication problems.  Prior to learning the algothrim, we will use maniplulatives to make area models, draw these models on paper and eventually actually compute the problem.

Reader's Workshop:  This week we began by reading Patricia Polacco narratives and using a story map to write a summary.  We will continue to read more of her books and develop a matrix of story elements from her narratives. Toward the end of the week we will have leveled reading groups using narrative stories.

 Writer's Workshop:  We will contiue to learn the requirements of a good narrative.  We will start with engaging beginnings, organization and then learn how to choose our topic for writing.  The personal narratives that we write will be a major writing grade this nine weeks.

 

Spelling:  Sort 5.  Continue to practice both the sorts and the spelling of the words on Spelling City.  We will have a spelling test this Friday. Quick link to spelling city on the page above.

Grammar:  We have been studying action verbs.  We will assess action verbs on Monday.  Later in the week we will begin linking verbs and have an assessment toward the end of the week.

Science:  My class remains in Social Studies.  Students may preview weather, our next unit on the page under science.

 

Important Dates:

Monday: Media Lesson on Destiny, Computer Lab

Tuesday: September 22, 2009: Family Game Night and dinner

 Wednesday: September 23, 2009: Guidance

Date Change

Due to the weather, the Foundation Movie Night has been postponed to October 2nd.  So change your calendars to reflect this new date and join in the fun under the stars!

Posted at 07:24 AM | Permalink

Team Jackson-September 8, 2009

This week we will continue to study how to use text features to make predictions about nonfiction text. The students have already practiced using prior knowledge and text structure to make predictions and improve comprehension.  Please note the number of AR points your student had this past week, many students are already behind on the Georgia Performance Standard of reading one million words in fourth grade.  Students need to read every night including the weekends!  Thank you for encouraging your child to read.

Math:  In my math class, we will begin place value to the tenths and  hundredths.  Please encourage your child to memorize the place value chart, we glued a copy in  their math journals.  Toward the end of the week, we will start multiplication, including double digit by double digit.  Automatic knowledge of their math facts is a must.  Please continue to practice if your student is weak in this area.

Reader's:  Reading groups begin and we will be studying how to use text features to make predictions and increase comprehension.  

Writer's:  On Friday we brainstormed ideas to write a descriptive paper about an object at school.  During this week we will be using the writing process to complete a paper for publication about their chosen object.  We will also illustrate this paper.  This descriptive writing will be a major writing grade.  Our next writing topic will be personal narratives. 

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Spelling:  We will begin Sort 3 this week.  Mrs. Langosch has posted all the words on Spelling City.  Please check out the site for daily spelling practice and the spelling words for assessment 2. Our next spelling test will be on September 25th.  Please note that students are tested weekly on their ability to apply the sort skills of the week.

Spelling City  

Study These Words for Assessment 2

Science:  We have completed our first unit is science and my class will be going to Mrs. Crowder to begin social studies.  Meanwhile I will be teaching her class science.  Our next unit in science is weather, please check out the sites about weather on the page under science. 

Important Dates:

September 12, 2009: East Cobber Parade: Please come and support Mrs. O'Donnell and Mrs. Stevens

September 14,  2009:  School Pictures

September 17, 2009:  Sally Foster Orders Due

September 18, 2009: Foundation Movie Night at Nicholson

September 21, 2009:  Academic Alerts, only if needed

September 25, 2009:  School Spirit Day and Chick-fil-A biscuits: $3

Team Jackson- August 31, 2009

We had a wonderful trip to Cobb County's Safety Village this past week, the students were very well behaved and were able to actually practice many of the skills we only read about in previous years.  The firemen will pay their final visit this Tuesday and the students will take the post test after the lesson.  Please check out the pictures on the page menu at left. Also we forgot to write in the parent journals on Friday, so we will complete them for morning work on Monday.  Look for the journals to come home on Monday night.  We will be back on regular schedule this Friday.

 

Math:  In my class we will review place value and value of a number and move on to rounding numbers to the nearest tens, hundreds and thousands. It is important that your student is able to relate this skill to their everyday life.  We will be discussing this in class but please reinforce at home.  Our next topic will be double digit multiplication, please practice math fact to automaticity Poor fact knowledge always influences success in multiplication.  Check out sites under page for more practice.

 

Reading Workshop:  This week we will begin organizing and teaching guided reading groups.  We will read in whole group and small groups using books from our new language arts series.  Our skill will be predicting.  In addition, Mrs. Langosch and I will be further assessing your child's reading ability insure your student is in the correct group.  Ask your student about reading this week. 

Writing Workshop: This past week we learned about the process of writing and the proper term for each section.  This week we will have lessons on prewriting  that will include both ideas and organization from 6 + 1 Writing Traits.

 

 

Science:  We will complete the water cycle this week by making bracelets and completing a lab on the water cycle.  In science, I often have the students answer questions that require critical thinking skills This is a process and requires students to exhibit thinking beyond the basic answers, use every opportunity to have your child "think outside the box".  I have added water cycle sites under the Science page.