Book Week Next week

Next week, May 2-6, will be our book week with many activities including mystery readers, bookmark competitions, book open doors decorations, character dress up day on May 4, scavenger hunts, book buddies, literature quizzes, a special guest assembly.

The Mystery Reader sessions will run every morning in the MPR between 8:15am - 8:30 am. Interested classes will come together in the MPR to guess who the mystery reader is and listen to the story. 

Books Open Doors Scavenger Hunt 

This session will take place during morning recess. Mrs. Sayyora has a sign up sheet for children to sign up to participate in this. 

Bookmark Design

The design contest has already started. But it is still not late to get a bookmark template from the library and join the contest. 

Character Dress up and Special Guest Assembly in the afternoon – May 4

The elementary school will celebrate reading by dressing up as their favorite book characters. We will meet at the assembly for a Wednesday Mystery Reader session.

Cool Fitness

Fitness circuits unit are great way to provide students with a variety of challenging activities that promote the components of health-related fitness, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and body composition. All activities were designed to include and challenge all students’’ physical skills, while maintaining enjoyable, health-promoting, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity during class.  

Click on video to watch.

Volume 33: 25 April 2016

Geoboards with fraction practice, expressing ourselves using natural ingredients in a creative way, challenging our thinking by making inferences into the themes and lessons we can learn in book clubs, choosing an artifact book to write an essay about one object, book share wackiness, an assembly with a Czech-born improvisational jazz saxophonist, debating the amount/value of different fractions, preparing for student-led conferences, and a dance train would comprise one long sentence of what this past week was about.

Of special note: MAP testing is coming up next week. Students are taking an assessment to measure the growth in both Math and Reading they have made since this Fall. The assessments are Monday and Thursday next week, first thing in the morning. Please be sure your child has a decent dinner the night before, along with a light-medium sized breakfast the morning of the assessment. A heavy breakfast "bogs" them down and makes them sleepy. It is important to remember this assessment is ONE indicator of your child's performance. Just think of all the things they learn in and out of school that this assessment does not measure? Seriously, they have grown tremendously and that is why we have Student-Led Conferences this week. They have reflected on this second half of the year and are really looking forward to sharing their new learning.

Next week, we attend a trip to Samarkand as a hands-on, real-life learning experience to understand how people express themselves. Complex is the topic and unique is this opportunity to explore and discover first-hand the rich history of Uzbekistan. We are excited and are sending a reminder note home today with details about the trip. Enjoy the weekend!

Homework:
If you haven't already, please bring in your personal artifact! Keep reading your May book and maybe you could bookmark a few spots that are exciting that you might want to share during your presentation.

Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday:

Volume 32: 18 April 2016

So, we could have brought in items from home-countries, objects that are important to us, and shared them with each other. Sure, this accomplishes our goal of understanding goal Artifacts tell us about the people that created them. However, we are more than the sum of our community. Things happen around us everyday and the affect us indirectly and directly all the time. This is why we went to Rakhimov Pottery Studio and this to Hast-Imam. To experience, touch, and be a part of the history and world around us - a world that is constantly expressing itself in infinite ways. Before our trip, we discussed how to talk about objects, or artifacts. We agreed there are some "categories" we could use to help speak a common language. These categories are Physical Features, Construction, Function, Value, and Design. During our field trip, we used these categories to help focus our observations, discussions, and learn just how artists in the past, present, and possible future create artifacts of importance in many ways - but most importantly express themselves and a history.

In other news, we have begin our study of fractions using geoboards and cutting crazy cakes. Remember, fractions represent equal amounts/values of a whole. Just stay tuned to the complexity of fraction fun. (Can you tell I love fractions?!)

Our May book share guidelines are up. Please look and read over them carefully. Encourage your child to read a book that is at his/her level and is challenging. Have fun and we can't wait to see the outside performances!

Homework: Continue to read your books for fun and for book presentations.  Be wacky with your sock puppet!

SPECIAL HOMEWORK: Bring in an object that express you, as a 4th grader at TIS. Please bring it in by this Thursday!

Monday:  Fraction sheet with tea cups/coffee mugs; Please bring in a personal artifact to research!!!

Tuesday:  Grid paper – do only the side with the kite design

Wednesday: Fraction IXL – Q.1 and try Q.2, and Q4

Thursday:  Match Maker and 4 Quadrant Ordered Pairs

Friday:  Go outside and play.  Help your family with a common job, and have a fun weekend!