Volume 8: 30 September 2016

How's that research going?

Whoa. It has been a week. Let's see what has happened. We have a "Tech" expert among us and she is excited to take a leading role in running our very own student-created, student-run, student-owned blog. It will feature quick snip-its of work that we finished and are proud of. It will also have text, or video posts that students can use in their own way to share their learning. Our student Tech expert already has an idea to allow students to be able to comment on others' posts. As the blog grows and our community becomes familiar with the app, Blogger Jr. and web browser Chrome, we will send parents and families a link to it. I would give you the link now, but I cannot. Our Tech expert said, "Let's have them [our community] practice more before we share it with parents." She is the boss.

Our UOI final projects reflect our great research abilities. We have used our knowledge of non-fiction text features, such as cut-aways, captions, diagrams, tables/charts, labels, types of text, and more, to help us determine information to include in our final projects. Also, our bellies are still stuffed from the International Potluck last week. Thank you to all those who could come, or helped at home with the cooking. The students enjoyed sharing something personal and important to them. This week we will reflect on our unit and continue to build our inquiring minds, as we ask the question "What do we want to know about 'Who We Are'?"

Last week, we finished practicing different array games to build a deeper conceptual understanding of how to compose and decompose equations. We are wrapping our study of Arrays and Shares in math and focusing on multiples, factors, multiplication, division, prime factorization, and fact families in centers this week. When we finish our centers each day, we are adding a math word to our math vocabulary wall. Each word contains an important math word, a picture of it, the definition, and a mathematical equation (if possible) that demonstrates the word. Our assessment will be near the end of the week.

Book clubs have been a blast! I have tried to include a video of some of us practicing what it means to read with expression and like a character. (I hope the link works.) Our focus on using questioning is on-going. We will also work towards thinking about our schema, or background knowledge, as we read. Often, readers make different connections, like text connections to oneself, another text, or the world at large. Look for more schema related zaniness!

This week we began our spelling studies. Our skill is contractions and why we use them in the English language. Do you know why? We say it is just a quicker way to say something. Each Tuesday, there will be a standing spelling assignment. This means every Tuesday each student brings his/her notebook home and completes one spelling activity. This notebook must return the following day (Wednesday), so we can share our work with our basegroup. Please encourage your child to practice the habit of returning the spelling notebook to its homework folder, and then homework folder to a backpack for school the next day. Developing strong organizational skills now helps to build successful learners of the future!

Our compost project will be on-going this school year. Thanks to all those who brought in eggshells, etc. Our worms are very appreciative! Enjoy the week!

Homework This Week:  Spend 20 minutes each night reading a book of your choice.  It can be in your home language or in English.  Enjoy this quiet time and let your mind make a movie while you read!

Monday:   Using known facts to find unknown facts

Tuesday:  Spelling!  Share your spelling list with your parents, and do one activity, NEATLY, in your notebook!

Wednesday:  IXL  Grade 4 D.8 Multiplication Patterns & E.1 Division Facts - this is the first time with this operation and IXL. Please do the Grade 3 one, if this is too challenging. Also, Parents: If your internet is not working, please let me know with a note the next day or an email from your workplace.

Thursday:  Multiplying 10, 11, and 12.

Friday:  Spend the weekend (and your break) thinking about all the good things that you have coming towards you in life!  If you want to, write a song about it, illustrate it, or make a list.  Share when your return.

Day One: Becoming an Expert in one array game: Playing different array games really helps us see numbers, groups of numbers, and multiplication in many different ways.

 Filling our compost bin with freshly scented, ripe organic material. Oh, yeah!

 What can I say? We like the smell of our toes? 

 Day two of array games: Each student was an "expert" in one game and taught the rest of the group.

 The not-goofy class picture that I took. No worries, Mr. Erik's photos are much better.

 Yes. We can all walk on tires together. We are multi-talented!

 Without a sound, reason, or prompt, this happened. 

 Just look at those faces in action.

 There is a slight bend. Eh, it is pretty cool anyway.

 Food!

Practicing reading with expression!