Spelling Words for Friday's Quiz

1. nervous
2. curious
3. obvious
4. miraculous
5. disastrous
6. enormous
7. generous
8. joyous
9. adventurous
10. numerous
11. ridiculous
12. mountainous
13. jealous
14. famous
15. mischievous

December Curriculum Update

Dear Families,

Although Winter Break is just a few weeks away, Class 4-312 continues to work very hard across all subject areas. Please take a few moments to read through each section below for an overview of our current curriculum plans.

Math
We have transitioned from multiplication into our division units. Students are learning how to divide numbers with 1-digit divisors, and we are dedicating a lot of time toward interpreting and evaluating word problems. Please encourage your child to show his/her work for math on all assignments. We have reviewed many strategies that students can use to understand word problems: underlining important information, rewriting the important information, drawing a picture, drawing a tape diagram, and checking for reasonableness.

As division heavily relies on students' fluency with their multiplication facts, please continue to review multiplication and division facts with your child when you have spare time.

Writing

This week, we entered the publishing stage of the Personal Essay. The personal essay is a five-paragraph essay that incorporates argument and narrative writing elements. The children were asked to write a thesis statement, or a personal opinion/claim about a topic or person in their lives. The goal is to support the thesis with three concrete reasons, along with accompanying details and personal experiences.

Furthermore, our students are learning how to structure an essay by using paragraphs (introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion) to organize ideas and to support a thesis statement. Ask your child about "TEEC," an acronym that helps us remember how to structure a strong body paragraph: Topic sentence, Evidence or Examples, Explain the importance of the evidence, and Concluding sentence.

The students are asked to apply various writer’s craft moves they have been learning since the beginning of the year, including descriptive language, dialogue, figurative language, sequencing phrases and transition words, similes, metaphors, and show, not tell. Additionally, students continue to practice all they know about the mechanics of good writing, which includes writing with correct punctuation and capitalization. We are excited for you to read your child's personal essay the next time you visit our classroom! 

Social Studies
We are continuing to learn about the theme and essential question of what it means to be free by studying the European migration to the New York area. As you know, we are currently learning about the Native Americans who lived in the New York area 400 years ago. After researching various aspects of Native American life, the class was broken up based on interest groups. Each group chose a different topic to research; the different group topics are food, family life, government, creation myths, and the European explorers. Our culminating project will be a series of dioramas, teaching the audience about the Native American way of life and the explorers who “found” the new land.

Thank you to all families who sent in supplies. We look forward to presenting our projects to you during the holiday party on December 20!

Reading
We continue to push students' thinking about reading through our daily read-aloud book, The One and Only Ivan, and by providing feedback to students based on their independent reading books. Please see today's other blog post about Weekly Reading Responses. Once the New Year rolls around, we will launch our first set of book clubs for the year, which provides the students with an opportunity to read and discuss a book with a small group of their peers and a teacher. More info to come in January!

Important Dates
Our publishing party/holiday celebration will be on Thursday, December 20, at 8:30am. We look forward to seeing you there!

Best,

R & L 

Weekly Reading Responses

As you know, students have a weekly reading response due each Monday. These reading responses consist of at least two paragraphs: the first paragraph is a summary of the book students are reading independently, and the second paragraph is the section in which students can demonstrate their deeper thinking by choosing a prompt from the Reading Response Bingo Board.

Today in class, we reviewed a model reading response based on our read-aloud text, The One and Only Ivan. As a class, we analyzed the elements that contribute to a strong response: a summary that outlines the main events of the book in sequential order; a response that includes character feelings, traits, and/or motivations; and a response that includes details from the text to support thinking. After reviewing the response together, we attached the model response to the inside-back cover of each student's Reading/Spelling Notebook for future reference. (The model response is also copied and pasted below.)

Over the next few days, please review your child's reading responses and comments with him/her and review the model response in the back of the Reading/Spelling Notebook. We appreciate your support in helping us to push students' thinking more deeply about their independent texts!

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Model Reading Response

         The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate is a book about a silverback gorilla named Ivan who lives in the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade and is owned by a human named Mack. Ivan can understand humans, but they cannot understand him. Ivan lives in his domain in the mall with Stella, an elephant who was taken from her family to live in the mall, and Bob, a dog. Later on in the story, Ruby, another elephant, joins the circus. Ruby asks Ivan about his childhood. Ivan tells her that when he was a baby, his family called him “Mud” because he was always drawing with mud in the forest. Later, Mack trains Ruby to do tricks, but Ruby starts to fight him because he is mistreating her. Trying to soothe Ruby from what she went through with Mack, Ivan decides to tell Ruby more about his past, such as when humans killed his parents. Then, Ivan decides to secretly start painting at night.   

Dear Diary,

I am very upset with Mack. The other day he brought me into the ring. He looped my feet with rope so that I could not run away and heavy chains hung from my neck. All he wanted me to do was learn the tricks, but I was exhausted. I thought he would see how tired I was by looking at me, but either he did not care or he did not notice. Still, he kept yelling at me and wouldn’t leave me alone. He tried to pull at me, but I refused to move. He took out a claw-stick and I think he wanted to hurt me with it. He was getting angrier and angrier at me for not listening, but at the same time, I was angrier and angrier by the minute. I was dead-tired. I did not want to listen to him. Shouldn’t he treat me with love and respect if he wants me to do something for him? Without me even realizing what I did, I used my trunk and  slapped him as hard as I could. He dropped the claw-stick and fell down on the ground and curled into a ball and howled a scary sound. I did it!!! I was so proud of myself for standing up and protecting myself. However, I am now a little worried. What if Mack is really angry at me? Will he retaliate? Will he do something worse to me?

                                                                                 Love,

                                                                                 Ruby

Homework Helper

Today, each child received a resource to help them not only complete each homework assignment, but also to remember to bring all of their homework materials back to school! Please check your child's gold folder tonight for two copies of the Homework Helper: the green copy should be kept in the gold folder and the purple copy should be hung on a wall near where your child completes his/her homework. Thank you for helping to support your child be a more responsible and independent student!

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Homework Helper!

Use the following steps each time you complete your homework.

1. Unpack your backpack, and lay all your school materials on the table. This includes your HW folder, HW agenda, and book baggie.

2. Open your HW agenda to today’s date. Read each assignment, and place the materials for each assignment on the table.

3. Choose one assignment. After that is complete, place a ✔ next to that assignment in your agenda. Then, place the HW in your gold folder.

4. Choose the second assignment. After that is complete, place a ✔ next to that assignment in your agenda. Then, place the HW in your gold folder.

5. Complete step 4 until each assignment is finished.

6. Clean up your HW area by placing your HW folder, HW agenda, and any other materials in your backpack.

It is always a good idea to have an adult at home check your backpack to make sure you have all your materials ready for school the next day.

Next Read Aloud!

We recently completed our first chapter book, Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo. Our final writing assignment for this book will be an extended response essay. The assignment will be attached to next week's reading log. The children will have one week to complete this assignment.


Our next read aloud will be The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. Just like Because of Winn-Dixie, students will have reading comprehension assignments and quizzes throughout the read aloud. Students may bring in a copy of the book to follow along while reading in class. The book can be found in the public library, the local bookstore, and on Amazon.

Please feel free to get a copy of the book if you would like to follow along at home with the class.

Reading Response Bingo!

This week, we are beginning a new method for students to respond to their weekly reading. In addition to completing their log after reading for 30 minutes each night, students must also complete a weekly reading response due each Monday. We are giving the children many options for how they wish to complete their reading responses. Today during school, each child received a Reading Response Bingo Board on purple paper that should live in their gold folder for the next few months. Please view the Bingo Board and instructions below:

The reading response should be completed on the second page of the reading log. In class today, we also reviewed a model reading response in class together so each student is aware of the expectations for their response. Please read our mentor reading response below and review it with your child if they need a refresher:

Title of Book: Because of Winn-Dixie

Reading Response I Chose: Compare and Contrast

Reading Response:

     Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo is a heartwarming story about a ten-year-old girl named Opal who rescues a stray dog and names him Winn-Dixie after the grocery store where she finds him. At the beginning of the story, Opal is lonely as she has just moved to a new place in Florida. She does not have any friends, and her father is a preacher who keeps his feelings very guarded. However, throughout the book, Winn-Dixie helps Opal to make new friends and connect with new, interesting people.

One way the preacher and I are similar is that we both care about those who are not as fortunate or lucky as we are. For example, the preacher allows Opal to keep Winn Dixie, a “Less Fortunate.” He also helps people in his church. I also care about people and animals who do not have as much as others. I rescued two stray dogs who needed a home. I also raise money for UNICEF, which helps kids in need get medicine, education, clean water, and healthy food.

On the other hand, the preacher and I are different because the preacher keeps to himself while I am more outgoing. For example, in Chapter 2, Opal says, “Sometimes he reminded me of a turtle hiding inside its shell, in there thinking about things and not ever sticking his head out in the world.” I am the exact opposite! I always talk to my family and friends about my feelings and problems, and I think it is important not to bottle things up inside. Luckily, the preacher is starting to come out of his shell more because of Winn-Dixie.

If your child has any questions about the reading response prompts, please encourage him/her to speak to us about it in class before the assignment is due.

October Curriculum Update

Dear Families,

Class 4-312 has been working very hard and we are excited to share what we have been learning with all of you. Please take a few minutes to read through each section below for a brief overview of our current and upcoming curriculum plans.

Math
This past Tuesday, the children took the Topic 1 Multiplication and Division: Meaning and Facts assessment. The test will come home on Tuesday, October 9, to be signed by a family member. Please review the test with your child.

On Wednesday, we began our second topic in math, Place Value. The class began learning how to represent numbers and the relationships between place values. Next week they will learn how to compare, order, and round numbers.

Please continue to review multiplication facts with your child when you have spare time. As we discussed at our Curriculum Meeting, there are various ways to study times tables with your child, from reviewing them on the way to school to having your child practice their times tables on digital apps.

Writing
Last week, we published our All About Me essays. This Monday, we began our second writing unit, Personal Narrative. A Personal Narrative is a small moment story that relates a personal experience told in the first person. The children read three mentor texts to prepare themselves for the unit. They have spent the past few days collecting ideas based on times in their lives that are meaningful. After collecting is complete, we will move through the writing process of planning, drafting, revising, editing, and finally publishing. Please encourage your child to talk with you about the small moment they choose to write about in class and help add specific details to the story.

Social Studies
This year, the essential question guiding our Social Studies inquiries is, "What does it mean to be free?" In studying the history of New York through this lens, the class has started learning about the Native Americans of New York. They have read through two social studies-based newspapers and answered short response questions. Next week, we will begin sending newspapers home for students to read for homework. Those newspapers may be used as the 30 minutes toward students' reading homework and may be written in the students' reading logs. Please review the short response questions with your child to make sure they answer each part of each question.

Reading
The class is halfway through reading Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo. The students are loving the book! Through this read-aloud book, the children are learning reading strategies such as retelling/summarizing, predicting, inferring, and analyzing character feelings and traits based on evidence. The children have been completing in-class assessments to test reading comprehension.

Our next read aloud will be The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. Although it is not required, please feel free to borrow the book from the public library or purchase a copy for your child to follow along during class.

Field Trips and Important Dates
Please note the following field trips:

Tuesday, October 9, 2018:

• Museum of Natural History 
• Free trip 
• Snack and lunch will be at school 

Tuesday, October 30, 2018:

• Urban Park Rangers 
• $5.00 per child 
• Bring lunch to eat in the park 
• Permission slips will be sent home next week.

Friday, October 19:

• Picture Day!

Cards of Kindness

Last Friday, we kicked off Cards of Kindness in Class 4-312, in which each student writes a thoughtful and kind card to another randomly chosen student. Please ask your child about the cards they wrote and received from their classmates. 

Have a wonderful long weekend!

Best,

L & R