IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
DINNER AND SONGFEST - We would like to remind all parents that our annual Songfest will take place this coming Thursday December 16th. The DPTO will be selling Holiday food an hour before the student presentations, which will be starting promptly at 6:00 p.m. We invite all parents and students to come at 5:00 p.m. for supper, to catch up with friends, purchase the Choir CD and the Discovery School cookbook for holiday gifts, and enjoy the presentations our students have been working on. The program should last about one hour and thirty minutes. We hope to see you all there.
Also: For the songfest we are requesting that our students dress in a black clothes, so that they all match and look awesome during our dance number.
Science Fair Projects
To all the families that will not be travelling the entire holidays may I suggest that you and your child take a day or two to work on the science project. The final product with the display board, the logbook, and all the details of the experiment will be due on Jan 25th. Please do not be overly concerned with the data collection and graphing portion as these sections are more for middle and high school students. If your child can collect observations and simple data from the experiment and then explain what they have learned in the conclusion section then they will have done well. Remember to take lots of pictures during the experiment so that they can show all of the steps they went through on their final display board. Thanks to all the parents who have taken the time to help out and get involved in this science fair project. If you have any questions please contact me.
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES:
Reading:
We will be completing our classroom novel, 'The Best Christmas Pageant Ever' and deciding how we feel about the way the author built up the action in the story, created an exciting climax, and then tied everything together in the resolution. We will also be taking some time to choose a holiday novel to read over the Christmas break. This is not homework, but each student will be encouraged to select a book or two to take home and read during those days when they have nothing to do.
Writing:
We will finish planning and writing our narratives this week. The students will practice planning out the main plot points of their story and then bringing them to life in their story. Most students are currently building up to their climax at present, so this week will be spent writing the climax of the story and the resolution, and then proofreading their stories with their classmates. Finally we will get a chance to publish and share our stories in the author's chair.
Science:
We will continue with our 'design and motion' unit. We will be designing and building new vehicles to carry a load, and then testing the effect that the extra weight has on the motion of our vehicles.
Spelling:
There will be no spelling this week due to the short week and the practice time needed for songfest.
Here's to a fun-filled final week before our well-deserved holiday. I hope to see everyone at Songfest!! All the best,
Jordan Rose
Monday, December 13, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
Activities for the Week of Dec. 6th-10th
Greetings parents and students,
We are getting close to the end of another quarter and the start of our Christmas holidays. I hope that our class is able to continue working hard right up to the end so that we can enjoy a well-deserved break.
Important Reminders:
December 16th is our Songfest night. The elementary classes at Discovery will be showing off their dance moves for all to see. We look forward to a fun night of song and dance. See you there!!
THIS WEEKS CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES:
Math:
This week in Mathematics we will be completing chapter 6 in our math text and preparing for our test on Friday. We will start the week by practicing our problem-solving skills and examining patterns. We will then work on applying our problem-solving skills in challenging word problems, and even write our own word problems. Thursday we will review all the multiplication skills we need for our chapter test, before writing our test on Friday. As usual, a practice test will go home with each student Thursday night for review at home. Good luck students! Study hard!
Reading:
This week we will continue reading and thinking about our class novel, 'The Best Christmas Pageant Ever'. We will be reading chapters 4 and 5 together in class and evaluating the way in which the plot of the novel builds and builds toward the climax. We will be writing our weekly 'reading letter' describing this 'build-up', critiquing the author's use of humour in the story, and drawing connections between the story and our own lives.
Writing:
This week we will be completing our 'plot mountain' as a way of planning out our narrative before we begin to write. The students will be asked to think about the key plot points in the story before they begin writing. Once complete we will work on writing, sharing, and editing our very own stories.
Science:
We will continue with our science unit entitled, 'design and motion'. The students will be building and testing their own vehicles and learning about the importance of design and concepts such as motion, force, and friction.
Spelling:
We will be focusing on how to properly spell pluralized words. Our words are ferries, crutches, monkeys, leashes, blueberries, taxes, dollars, countries, inches, suitcases, brushes, eagles, umbrellas, sandwiches, bicycles.
Due to the time needed to practice our songfest routine we will not be having a grammar or character study lesson this week.
Have a great week everybody!!
We are getting close to the end of another quarter and the start of our Christmas holidays. I hope that our class is able to continue working hard right up to the end so that we can enjoy a well-deserved break.
Important Reminders:
December 16th is our Songfest night. The elementary classes at Discovery will be showing off their dance moves for all to see. We look forward to a fun night of song and dance. See you there!!
THIS WEEKS CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES:
Math:
This week in Mathematics we will be completing chapter 6 in our math text and preparing for our test on Friday. We will start the week by practicing our problem-solving skills and examining patterns. We will then work on applying our problem-solving skills in challenging word problems, and even write our own word problems. Thursday we will review all the multiplication skills we need for our chapter test, before writing our test on Friday. As usual, a practice test will go home with each student Thursday night for review at home. Good luck students! Study hard!
Reading:
This week we will continue reading and thinking about our class novel, 'The Best Christmas Pageant Ever'. We will be reading chapters 4 and 5 together in class and evaluating the way in which the plot of the novel builds and builds toward the climax. We will be writing our weekly 'reading letter' describing this 'build-up', critiquing the author's use of humour in the story, and drawing connections between the story and our own lives.
Writing:
This week we will be completing our 'plot mountain' as a way of planning out our narrative before we begin to write. The students will be asked to think about the key plot points in the story before they begin writing. Once complete we will work on writing, sharing, and editing our very own stories.
Science:
We will continue with our science unit entitled, 'design and motion'. The students will be building and testing their own vehicles and learning about the importance of design and concepts such as motion, force, and friction.
Spelling:
We will be focusing on how to properly spell pluralized words. Our words are ferries, crutches, monkeys, leashes, blueberries, taxes, dollars, countries, inches, suitcases, brushes, eagles, umbrellas, sandwiches, bicycles.
Due to the time needed to practice our songfest routine we will not be having a grammar or character study lesson this week.
Have a great week everybody!!
Monday, November 29, 2010
Activities for the Week of November 29-December 3rd
Hello students and parents,
Thanks to all the family members who made it out to our holiday lunch and presentation of 'First Stop Ellis Island'. It was a fun way to begin the holiday season.
Here's what we'll be doing this week in Grade 4:
Math:
We'll be learning how to multiply with factors that are at least two digits using the classic algorithym method. We'll then practice solving multiplication problems using both of the methods we've learned, as well as creating arrays and word problems to represent these problems. We'll also be learning to solve word problems using an organized list as a strategy.
Reading:
We will begin reading our latest class novel, "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever". While we read we'll be learning about plot conventions such as introductions, conflicts, rising action, climax, and conflict resolution. We'll be writing our weekly 'reading letter' about the second chapter of our new book, which students will read independently for home work. We'll also be having our second 'reading buddies' sessions with our friends in grade 1 where we'll be discussing our favourite holiday stories.
Writing:
We will start working on our narrative writing skills this week. This will correspond with what we are learning about plot conventions during reading lessons. The students will be asked to create a 'story map' of the narrative that they plan to write, including all the key plot points, before they begin writing and editing their story. We will then work on writing, sharing, and editing our stories together in time for our Christmas holiday.
Grammar:
We will continue discussing and working with prefixes and suffixes. This week our focus will be the prefixes un- and pre- and the suffixes -able and -less.
Spelling
We will be focusing on the J sound at the end of words, as created by -ge and -dge.
Our words for the week are: wedge, bandage, bridge, fudge, sausage, garbage, lodge, badge, cabbage, edge, manage, luggage, judge, damage, package.
Character Studies:
We will be focusing on the character trait of fairness.
Science:
We will be checking our progress with the science project, and discussing the next step we need to finish. We will also be beginning our new science unit on Motion and Design.
Here's to a great week in grade 4. All the best,
Jordan Rose
Thanks to all the family members who made it out to our holiday lunch and presentation of 'First Stop Ellis Island'. It was a fun way to begin the holiday season.
Here's what we'll be doing this week in Grade 4:
Math:
We'll be learning how to multiply with factors that are at least two digits using the classic algorithym method. We'll then practice solving multiplication problems using both of the methods we've learned, as well as creating arrays and word problems to represent these problems. We'll also be learning to solve word problems using an organized list as a strategy.
Reading:
We will begin reading our latest class novel, "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever". While we read we'll be learning about plot conventions such as introductions, conflicts, rising action, climax, and conflict resolution. We'll be writing our weekly 'reading letter' about the second chapter of our new book, which students will read independently for home work. We'll also be having our second 'reading buddies' sessions with our friends in grade 1 where we'll be discussing our favourite holiday stories.
Writing:
We will start working on our narrative writing skills this week. This will correspond with what we are learning about plot conventions during reading lessons. The students will be asked to create a 'story map' of the narrative that they plan to write, including all the key plot points, before they begin writing and editing their story. We will then work on writing, sharing, and editing our stories together in time for our Christmas holiday.
Grammar:
We will continue discussing and working with prefixes and suffixes. This week our focus will be the prefixes un- and pre- and the suffixes -able and -less.
Spelling
We will be focusing on the J sound at the end of words, as created by -ge and -dge.
Our words for the week are: wedge, bandage, bridge, fudge, sausage, garbage, lodge, badge, cabbage, edge, manage, luggage, judge, damage, package.
Character Studies:
We will be focusing on the character trait of fairness.
Science:
We will be checking our progress with the science project, and discussing the next step we need to finish. We will also be beginning our new science unit on Motion and Design.
Here's to a great week in grade 4. All the best,
Jordan Rose
Monday, November 22, 2010
Activities for the Week of November 22nd-24th
Important Reminders:
This Wednesday is our holiday lunch. We will be having two presentations of our class play, 'First Stop Ellis Island' at 11:30, followed by our holiday lunch at 12:30. I apologize for changing the time of the play, (originally I wrote on this blog that we would have the performance after lunch). But after reconsidering the effect of pie on grade 4 students I decided that we would be better off having the play before we eat. I look forward to a fun lunch with parents and students before we head off for our four day Thanksgiving holiday.
Our science projects are moving along nicely. Over the holidays if you have some time at home with your child you might want to check how they have been progressing on their science fair logbook. Most of the students have completed the first three steps....creating a question, coming up with key words and related questions, and doing some background research on their topic. Step four will require them to think about how they will design their experiment and what their hypothesis and variables will be. The information is contained in the logbook, but if you have any questions about how to proceed please contact me.
Classroom Activities:
Writing:
We will be discussing the concept of perspective, and the importance of seeing things from other perspectives. To practice this we will work on writing our weekly reading letter from the perspective of one of the characters in our play. The students will be asked to write about what it might have been like to immigrate to a new country such as America.
Social Studies:
We will be spending most of our time practicing our play and getting it ready for our parents on Wednesday. The students are in charge of deciding how they want to stage their play and making sure that it is presentable.
Math:
We are in the beginning stages of our new chapter in Mathematics. This week we will be learning how to estimate the product of two, two digit factors, and learning how to use the break apart method with these larger numbers. We will also work on representing multiplication problems using arrays.
As this is such a short and busy week we will not be having spelling or grammar lessons this week.
Here's to a great week and our holiday lunch,
Jordan Rose
This Wednesday is our holiday lunch. We will be having two presentations of our class play, 'First Stop Ellis Island' at 11:30, followed by our holiday lunch at 12:30. I apologize for changing the time of the play, (originally I wrote on this blog that we would have the performance after lunch). But after reconsidering the effect of pie on grade 4 students I decided that we would be better off having the play before we eat. I look forward to a fun lunch with parents and students before we head off for our four day Thanksgiving holiday.
Our science projects are moving along nicely. Over the holidays if you have some time at home with your child you might want to check how they have been progressing on their science fair logbook. Most of the students have completed the first three steps....creating a question, coming up with key words and related questions, and doing some background research on their topic. Step four will require them to think about how they will design their experiment and what their hypothesis and variables will be. The information is contained in the logbook, but if you have any questions about how to proceed please contact me.
Classroom Activities:
Writing:
We will be discussing the concept of perspective, and the importance of seeing things from other perspectives. To practice this we will work on writing our weekly reading letter from the perspective of one of the characters in our play. The students will be asked to write about what it might have been like to immigrate to a new country such as America.
Social Studies:
We will be spending most of our time practicing our play and getting it ready for our parents on Wednesday. The students are in charge of deciding how they want to stage their play and making sure that it is presentable.
Math:
We are in the beginning stages of our new chapter in Mathematics. This week we will be learning how to estimate the product of two, two digit factors, and learning how to use the break apart method with these larger numbers. We will also work on representing multiplication problems using arrays.
As this is such a short and busy week we will not be having spelling or grammar lessons this week.
Here's to a great week and our holiday lunch,
Jordan Rose
Monday, November 15, 2010
Lunch Menu for Wednesday 24th
MENU FOR SCHOOL THANKSGIVING PARTIES for Wednesday 24th
Discovery School Cafeteria is offering the following menus for Thanksgiving parties. Order Sheets are placed with teachers in every class. Order for the whole class and get a FREE (1 per class) Menu 2 Adult Plate for your Teacher! All orders must be placed and paid by Thursday 18th.
Thanksgiving Menu Menu 1 L. 70 Child, L. 110 Adult Turkey and Gravy
Cranberry Jelly Mashed potatoes Dinner roll
Menu 2 L. 85 Child, L. 125 Adult Turkey and Gravy Cranberry Jelly Mashed potatoes Glazed Carrots or Green Beans Dinner roll
Add a pie:
Apple or Pumpkin, Slice L 35 Whole Pie L 280
Add a beverage:
Small Juice L. 10 Milk L. 15 Iced Tea L. 25 Cold Soda 2 lts w/ 8 cups L. 40
We will make apple pies , pumpkin pies and Cheesecakes for pick up at school on Wednesday 24th. Also available are pineapple & lemon pies. Price for Pies is L 280 each and Cheesecake is L. 350. We need advance orders by Thursday 18th and we will not make any extra!!!
Activities for the Week of November 15th-November 18th
Dear parents and students,
Greetings from Discovery School. I hope everyone is well.
Dates to remember:
Friday, November 19th- No School! As all of our Discovery School Teachers will be taking part in our 6th annual Teacher's Workshop.
Wednesday, November 24th we will have our class 'holiday lunch'. All parents are invited to enjoy a delicious lunch with us starting at 12:30. Following the lunch we will have two performances of our class play, 'First Stop Ellis Island'. We will be ordering our holiday lunch from the cafeteria for parents and students. I will be sending home a menu and order form this week. If you can make it we look forward to sharing a nice lunch and performance with you.
Classroom Activities This Week:
Math
This Wednesday we will be having our Chapter 5 Math Test. The test will cover all the multiplication and word problems that we've been working on over the past 2 and a half weeks. As usual I will be sending home a practice test Tuesday afternoon for the students to practice and study. Thursday will mark the beginning of Chapter 6, where we will be learning to multiply two, two digit numbers.
Reading
In reading this week we will finish reading for information from our booklet, 'The Story of Immigration'. We will be handing in our 'reading letter' on Tuesday detailing all the interesting things that we've learned about Immigration in America, and how this information relates to the characters in our play, 'First Stop Ellis Island'. We will also be reading the portion of the booklet about the immigration laws that have been enacted in America together, and decide what is fair and unfair about these laws.
Writing
In writing lessons we will practice proofreading and editing our 'reading letters' together to make sure we all hand in our best work. We will also be focusing on the concept of perspective, and the importance of being able to see things from different perspectives. To practice this we will be writing about the experience of immigration from the perspective of one of the characters in our play.
Grammar
We will be learning about prefixes and suffixes and how they change the meaning of words, and how understanding prefixes and suffixes can help us figure out what new words mean. The prefixes and suffixes that we will focus on are: un, mis, dis, er, and est.
Spelling
Our spelling words will focus on the CH sound at the end of words. Our words are: fetch, pinch, drench, couch, clutch, torch, ranch, scratch, reach, stretch, branch, twitch, church, patch, sketch.
Social Studies
Now that we have completed writing our additional scene and chosen our parts, both groups will work on deciding and practicing the staging of their play. The students will have to decide how to properly act out the play and whether or not they will memorize their lines. Our social studies topic of Immigration in America is also fully integrated with our reading and writing lessons this week.
I hope everyone has a great week. Thanks for reading and look forward to seeing you all next Wednesday!! Sincerely,
Jordan Rose
Greetings from Discovery School. I hope everyone is well.
Dates to remember:
Friday, November 19th- No School! As all of our Discovery School Teachers will be taking part in our 6th annual Teacher's Workshop.
Wednesday, November 24th we will have our class 'holiday lunch'. All parents are invited to enjoy a delicious lunch with us starting at 12:30. Following the lunch we will have two performances of our class play, 'First Stop Ellis Island'. We will be ordering our holiday lunch from the cafeteria for parents and students. I will be sending home a menu and order form this week. If you can make it we look forward to sharing a nice lunch and performance with you.
Classroom Activities This Week:
Math
This Wednesday we will be having our Chapter 5 Math Test. The test will cover all the multiplication and word problems that we've been working on over the past 2 and a half weeks. As usual I will be sending home a practice test Tuesday afternoon for the students to practice and study. Thursday will mark the beginning of Chapter 6, where we will be learning to multiply two, two digit numbers.
Reading
In reading this week we will finish reading for information from our booklet, 'The Story of Immigration'. We will be handing in our 'reading letter' on Tuesday detailing all the interesting things that we've learned about Immigration in America, and how this information relates to the characters in our play, 'First Stop Ellis Island'. We will also be reading the portion of the booklet about the immigration laws that have been enacted in America together, and decide what is fair and unfair about these laws.
Writing
In writing lessons we will practice proofreading and editing our 'reading letters' together to make sure we all hand in our best work. We will also be focusing on the concept of perspective, and the importance of being able to see things from different perspectives. To practice this we will be writing about the experience of immigration from the perspective of one of the characters in our play.
Grammar
We will be learning about prefixes and suffixes and how they change the meaning of words, and how understanding prefixes and suffixes can help us figure out what new words mean. The prefixes and suffixes that we will focus on are: un, mis, dis, er, and est.
Spelling
Our spelling words will focus on the CH sound at the end of words. Our words are: fetch, pinch, drench, couch, clutch, torch, ranch, scratch, reach, stretch, branch, twitch, church, patch, sketch.
Social Studies
Now that we have completed writing our additional scene and chosen our parts, both groups will work on deciding and practicing the staging of their play. The students will have to decide how to properly act out the play and whether or not they will memorize their lines. Our social studies topic of Immigration in America is also fully integrated with our reading and writing lessons this week.
I hope everyone has a great week. Thanks for reading and look forward to seeing you all next Wednesday!! Sincerely,
Jordan Rose
Monday, November 8, 2010
Classroom Activities for the Week of Nov. 8-Nov.12th
Greetings parents and students!
Important Reminders:
This Monday is our picture day. Thank you to everyone who has returned the form with the money for the photo package. If you have not sent in your form and money yet, we can accept it no later than this Tuesday, Nov. 9th. I will send home an additional form today for any students who think they may have 'misplaced' their original copy.
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
Math:
This week in Math lessons we will be working on understanding when it is best to use the 'old school' pen and pencil method for multiplying, and when it is best to use our mental math skills. We will also take time to review and practice our multiplication skills, making sure we can accurately multiply two, there, and four digit numbers. We will then move on to multiplying money, and understanding how to multiply with decimal points, and understanding factorization. Finally, we will continue to practice choosing strategies for and solving word problems.
Reading:
In reading this week we will be reading a non-fiction booklet titled 'The Story of Immigration'. We will continue to practice our reading for information, and note taking skills from last week. Each student will then write their weekly reading letter about what they learned about our social studies topic of immigration from what they read within the booklet. We will also spend our first session with our Grade 1 reading buddies this week.
Writing:
We will be focusing this week on writing a scene from a play. We will discuss the differences between a written play and a storybook. We will also discuss key elements of a play, including setting, directions, and character dialogue. This corresponds nicely with the work we've done with the play 'First Stop Ellis Island' in our Social Studies lessons, and will build to next week's social studies activity where we will be writing and performing our very own scene.
Social Studies:
In social studies lessons this week we will continue to work on our 'read-throughs' of our play. We will also work on trying to settle on who will play each part in each of the two groups. Our social studies lessons will also be integrated with our reading and writing lessons, as we will be learning about immigration in reading classes, and preparing to create a new scene for our play during our writing classes.
Grammar:
We will be working on understanding how to properly use apostrophe S to show possession.
Spelling:
We will focus on common abbreviations such as the days of the week and months of the year.
I hope everyone has a great week. All the best,
Jordan Rose
Important Reminders:
This Monday is our picture day. Thank you to everyone who has returned the form with the money for the photo package. If you have not sent in your form and money yet, we can accept it no later than this Tuesday, Nov. 9th. I will send home an additional form today for any students who think they may have 'misplaced' their original copy.
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
Math:
This week in Math lessons we will be working on understanding when it is best to use the 'old school' pen and pencil method for multiplying, and when it is best to use our mental math skills. We will also take time to review and practice our multiplication skills, making sure we can accurately multiply two, there, and four digit numbers. We will then move on to multiplying money, and understanding how to multiply with decimal points, and understanding factorization. Finally, we will continue to practice choosing strategies for and solving word problems.
Reading:
In reading this week we will be reading a non-fiction booklet titled 'The Story of Immigration'. We will continue to practice our reading for information, and note taking skills from last week. Each student will then write their weekly reading letter about what they learned about our social studies topic of immigration from what they read within the booklet. We will also spend our first session with our Grade 1 reading buddies this week.
Writing:
We will be focusing this week on writing a scene from a play. We will discuss the differences between a written play and a storybook. We will also discuss key elements of a play, including setting, directions, and character dialogue. This corresponds nicely with the work we've done with the play 'First Stop Ellis Island' in our Social Studies lessons, and will build to next week's social studies activity where we will be writing and performing our very own scene.
Social Studies:
In social studies lessons this week we will continue to work on our 'read-throughs' of our play. We will also work on trying to settle on who will play each part in each of the two groups. Our social studies lessons will also be integrated with our reading and writing lessons, as we will be learning about immigration in reading classes, and preparing to create a new scene for our play during our writing classes.
Grammar:
We will be working on understanding how to properly use apostrophe S to show possession.
Spelling:
We will focus on common abbreviations such as the days of the week and months of the year.
I hope everyone has a great week. All the best,
Jordan Rose
Monday, November 1, 2010
Class Activities for the Week of November 1st-5th
Greetings students and parents,
Thank you to all the parents who took the time Friday to come to Discovery for our student-led conferences. It was great to see everyone and talk about everything that we've worked on over this past 1st quarter of school. To the parents who were not able to meet on Friday, could you please contact me as soon as possible with an appropriate time when we might meet. Thanks!
Class Activities This Week:
Math:
Our next chapter in math will focus on multiplying and dividing larger numbers. This week we will continue to practice our mental math skills by working on our break down method of multiplying and learning how to multiply large round numbers with more than one zero, such as 4 X 7000. We will also be practicing our 'algorithym method' multiplying 3 digit by one digit numbers, and learning when it is best to use mental math and when it is best to use the algorithym. Finally we will practice solving word problems using the 'try, check, revise' problem solving strategy.
Reading:
We will be switching our reading focus this week to non-fiction books. We will be talking about the importance of being able to read and understand non-fiction reading material, and practice reading books to find information. Our 'reading letter' this week will be used to write about all the information that the students were able to find in their chosen non-fiction text.
Writing:
We will be working on writing using similes, (which we had planned to do the previous week but didn't get to due to all the fun stuff happening at discovery last week). We will also be learning how to properly take notes when reading for information in our non-fiction texts. These 'notes' will then serve as the basis for the material we write about in our 'reading letter'.
Social Studies:
Our current social studies unit is on immigration. Specifically American immigration. To study immigration we will be performing a play based on the famous book, 'First Stop Ellis Island'. We will also be studying a novel entitled, 'In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson'. Both the play and this novel give the students some historical background into immigration in America and perspective of what it meant to be an immigrant in a America. This unit also gives us a chance to draw on some of our own personal experiences of moving to a foreign country. We will also be contrasting 19th and 20th century American immigration with the very first American colonists who came to the new world....just in time for Thanksgiving!!
This week we will continue our discussion about what we know about immigration, and introduce our play, 'First Stop Ellis Island'.
Grammar:
We will be working on creating 'complex sentences' using conjunctions: because, while, before, and after.
Spelling:
Our spelling words are focused on the soft C and G sounds. The words are:
ceiling, giraffe, celery, gem, gentleman, center, citrus, general, cereal, gingerbread, cement citizen, genius, circle, certain.
Character Studies:
Our character studies focus this week will be on INTEGRITY
I hope everyone has an excellent week!! Thanks for reading,
Jordan Rose
Thank you to all the parents who took the time Friday to come to Discovery for our student-led conferences. It was great to see everyone and talk about everything that we've worked on over this past 1st quarter of school. To the parents who were not able to meet on Friday, could you please contact me as soon as possible with an appropriate time when we might meet. Thanks!
Class Activities This Week:
Math:
Our next chapter in math will focus on multiplying and dividing larger numbers. This week we will continue to practice our mental math skills by working on our break down method of multiplying and learning how to multiply large round numbers with more than one zero, such as 4 X 7000. We will also be practicing our 'algorithym method' multiplying 3 digit by one digit numbers, and learning when it is best to use mental math and when it is best to use the algorithym. Finally we will practice solving word problems using the 'try, check, revise' problem solving strategy.
Reading:
We will be switching our reading focus this week to non-fiction books. We will be talking about the importance of being able to read and understand non-fiction reading material, and practice reading books to find information. Our 'reading letter' this week will be used to write about all the information that the students were able to find in their chosen non-fiction text.
Writing:
We will be working on writing using similes, (which we had planned to do the previous week but didn't get to due to all the fun stuff happening at discovery last week). We will also be learning how to properly take notes when reading for information in our non-fiction texts. These 'notes' will then serve as the basis for the material we write about in our 'reading letter'.
Social Studies:
Our current social studies unit is on immigration. Specifically American immigration. To study immigration we will be performing a play based on the famous book, 'First Stop Ellis Island'. We will also be studying a novel entitled, 'In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson'. Both the play and this novel give the students some historical background into immigration in America and perspective of what it meant to be an immigrant in a America. This unit also gives us a chance to draw on some of our own personal experiences of moving to a foreign country. We will also be contrasting 19th and 20th century American immigration with the very first American colonists who came to the new world....just in time for Thanksgiving!!
This week we will continue our discussion about what we know about immigration, and introduce our play, 'First Stop Ellis Island'.
Grammar:
We will be working on creating 'complex sentences' using conjunctions: because, while, before, and after.
Spelling:
Our spelling words are focused on the soft C and G sounds. The words are:
ceiling, giraffe, celery, gem, gentleman, center, citrus, general, cereal, gingerbread, cement citizen, genius, circle, certain.
Character Studies:
Our character studies focus this week will be on INTEGRITY
I hope everyone has an excellent week!! Thanks for reading,
Jordan Rose
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Reminders and Class Activities for the Week of Oct 26th-29th
IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
This Friday, Oct. 29th is our student-led conferences. I will be sending home a paper with a time for your visit on Friday. Please contact me if there is any problem, or if you absolutely need to re-schedule. It is important that we meet to discuss your child's studies this Friday, as I am not able to hand out report cards until we have met. Also, remember this is a student-led conference so you will need to attend with your child.
October 28th is our book character day. This is a chance for all of our students to dress up as their favourite characters. Please refer to the handout that went home with the students for further details.
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES THIS WEEK:
Math:
We will be having our chapter test this Wednesday!! The practice test will go home Tuesday night. Thursday will mark the beginning of our next chapter, where we will be working on multiplying and dividing larger numbers.
Writing:
We will be practicing our reading aloud skills in preparation for reading our 'published pieces' during the student-led conferences this Friday. We will also be learning about similes and how they can help us improve our writing.
Reading:
We will be writing our first quarter 'book recommendation' to our parents. Students will choose the book this quarter that they enjoyed reading the most and write a letter to mom and dad recommending this book. Our recommendations will be read to each parent during our student-led conference.
Science:
We will be checking our science fair folders to check that Step 1 has been completed properly, and that the students are on the right track. We will also share some of our ideas and discuss what we need to do to prepare for Steps 2 and 3.
Social Studies:
We will be introducing our new unit on American Immigration. We will be discussing the meaning of immigration and the motivations that lead people to travel to a new land. We will assess the classes prior knowledge on the subject and get excited for learning all about American immigration in the weeks ahead.
Spelling:
We are back with 15 Spelling words this week. We are focusing on words with the hard C sound made by: C, CK, and K. The words are: check, stuck, attack, nickel, bucket, jacket, ticket, pocket, rocket, lucky, hockey, picnic, attic, rustic, shriek.
Here's to a fun filled week. I look forward to seeing everyone this Friday. All the best,
Jordan Rose
This Friday, Oct. 29th is our student-led conferences. I will be sending home a paper with a time for your visit on Friday. Please contact me if there is any problem, or if you absolutely need to re-schedule. It is important that we meet to discuss your child's studies this Friday, as I am not able to hand out report cards until we have met. Also, remember this is a student-led conference so you will need to attend with your child.
October 28th is our book character day. This is a chance for all of our students to dress up as their favourite characters. Please refer to the handout that went home with the students for further details.
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES THIS WEEK:
Math:
We will be having our chapter test this Wednesday!! The practice test will go home Tuesday night. Thursday will mark the beginning of our next chapter, where we will be working on multiplying and dividing larger numbers.
Writing:
We will be practicing our reading aloud skills in preparation for reading our 'published pieces' during the student-led conferences this Friday. We will also be learning about similes and how they can help us improve our writing.
Reading:
We will be writing our first quarter 'book recommendation' to our parents. Students will choose the book this quarter that they enjoyed reading the most and write a letter to mom and dad recommending this book. Our recommendations will be read to each parent during our student-led conference.
Science:
We will be checking our science fair folders to check that Step 1 has been completed properly, and that the students are on the right track. We will also share some of our ideas and discuss what we need to do to prepare for Steps 2 and 3.
Social Studies:
We will be introducing our new unit on American Immigration. We will be discussing the meaning of immigration and the motivations that lead people to travel to a new land. We will assess the classes prior knowledge on the subject and get excited for learning all about American immigration in the weeks ahead.
Spelling:
We are back with 15 Spelling words this week. We are focusing on words with the hard C sound made by: C, CK, and K. The words are: check, stuck, attack, nickel, bucket, jacket, ticket, pocket, rocket, lucky, hockey, picnic, attic, rustic, shriek.
Here's to a fun filled week. I look forward to seeing everyone this Friday. All the best,
Jordan Rose
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Discovery School Reminders
Here are a couple of reminders of important upcoming dates at Discovery School:
1. UN day Celebration this Friday / Early Dismissal
2. October 28th is book character day. Students are encouraged to come to school dressed as their favourite BOOK CHARACTER.
3. Student Led Conferences October 29th. I will be in contact with you soon to book a time that is convenient.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Activities for the Week of October 18-22
Greetings parents and students,
Well our first field trip of the year was a success! Last Friday we had a great morning learning and having fun at the Chiminike Children's Museum. Thanks again to all our volunteers, and to all the parents for making sure we all arrived on time with our snacks and clothing ready to go.
REMINDERS:
This Friday is our United Nations Day Celebration. 26 different countries will be represented at the celebration, and all family and friends are invited to join in the fun between 9:00-11:00 am. I look forward to seeing you there.
This week will mark the start of our Science Fair project process. Please lookout for an email or letter from me describing the nature and details of this project.
THIS WEEKS ACTIVITIES
Reading: We will be focusing on the reading skill of identifying and differentiating between fact and opinion this week. Our first activity will be during our guided reading periods with our class novel 'Stone Fox'. We will also work on reading independently and giving our opinion to other class mates of the books we're reading. Finally we will search through our collection of National Geographics for kids to find as many interesting nature facts to share with the class.
Writing: We are in the final stages of publishing our 'sensory series' pieces. The students have been working on revising and perfecting their pieces. Once we have our final published pieces we will work on reading them aloud to the class. Before we read aloud we will review all the essential points about speaking in front of people. (volume, clarity, pace, body language, expression)
Social Studies: As we have completed our first quarter science unit it is time to switch back to social studies during our Theme periods. This week we will incorporating our reading skill of identifying fact and fiction, and Friday's United Nations Day into a fun activity. Each student will be encouraged to choose a country from the 26 represented at UN Day that they do not know very much about. They will then give their opinion about the country from they're existing knowledge. For homework the students will then research online to find facts that they find interesting about the country, report these facts to the class, and see if the facts about the country change any of their original opinions.
Grammar: We will be working on everyone's favourite possessive pronoun: Their. And we will work on understanding the difference between Their, There, and They're.
Math: We will be continuing to work on multiplication and division. This week we will be introducing algebraic equations using multiplication and division. The students will work on solving equations and finding rules with mult and div problems. We are also continuing to practice our basic mult and div facts each day, with the goal of having our entire class join the 5 minute club. (a timed test of basic facts completed in under 5 mins) If your child struggles with multiplication and division facts I am happy to lend out flash cards for practice at home.
There will be no spelling words again this week due to UN day.
Please enjoy the photos below from our field trip, and remember to look out for a message about the Science Fair. Thank you,
Jordan Rose
Well our first field trip of the year was a success! Last Friday we had a great morning learning and having fun at the Chiminike Children's Museum. Thanks again to all our volunteers, and to all the parents for making sure we all arrived on time with our snacks and clothing ready to go.
REMINDERS:
This Friday is our United Nations Day Celebration. 26 different countries will be represented at the celebration, and all family and friends are invited to join in the fun between 9:00-11:00 am. I look forward to seeing you there.
This week will mark the start of our Science Fair project process. Please lookout for an email or letter from me describing the nature and details of this project.
THIS WEEKS ACTIVITIES
Reading: We will be focusing on the reading skill of identifying and differentiating between fact and opinion this week. Our first activity will be during our guided reading periods with our class novel 'Stone Fox'. We will also work on reading independently and giving our opinion to other class mates of the books we're reading. Finally we will search through our collection of National Geographics for kids to find as many interesting nature facts to share with the class.
Writing: We are in the final stages of publishing our 'sensory series' pieces. The students have been working on revising and perfecting their pieces. Once we have our final published pieces we will work on reading them aloud to the class. Before we read aloud we will review all the essential points about speaking in front of people. (volume, clarity, pace, body language, expression)
Social Studies: As we have completed our first quarter science unit it is time to switch back to social studies during our Theme periods. This week we will incorporating our reading skill of identifying fact and fiction, and Friday's United Nations Day into a fun activity. Each student will be encouraged to choose a country from the 26 represented at UN Day that they do not know very much about. They will then give their opinion about the country from they're existing knowledge. For homework the students will then research online to find facts that they find interesting about the country, report these facts to the class, and see if the facts about the country change any of their original opinions.
Grammar: We will be working on everyone's favourite possessive pronoun: Their. And we will work on understanding the difference between Their, There, and They're.
Math: We will be continuing to work on multiplication and division. This week we will be introducing algebraic equations using multiplication and division. The students will work on solving equations and finding rules with mult and div problems. We are also continuing to practice our basic mult and div facts each day, with the goal of having our entire class join the 5 minute club. (a timed test of basic facts completed in under 5 mins) If your child struggles with multiplication and division facts I am happy to lend out flash cards for practice at home.
There will be no spelling words again this week due to UN day.
Please enjoy the photos below from our field trip, and remember to look out for a message about the Science Fair. Thank you,
Jordan Rose
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Classroom Activities For The Week of Oct. 12th-15th
Hello fourth grade parents and students,
This is a short week in grade 4, as we begin on Tuesday and will be going on a field trip on Friday. This means we'll be very busy Tuesday through Thursday.
Before I detail our classroom activities here are IMPORTANT REMINDERS about our Field Trip:
For our field trip Friday all students will need to wear a Discovery School shirt so that we can easily identify our students at Chiminike. Also, our buses need to leave on time at 8:10. This means that all students need to be here by 7:50 at the latest. If any student shows up late they will need to stay behind and work in one of the other elementary classrooms for the day. Finally please remember that each student needs a snack to bring with them on the field trip...they will not be able to buy anything until they get back to school at 12:00, so having money will not be useful for purchasing a snack. Thanks!
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES:
Reading:
Having practiced using 'Context Clues' to understand confusing words in our guided reading novel 'Stone Fox', the students will now practice finding and deducing meaning from challenging words in their self selected reading books. This 'context clue' reading skill that we practice will also be a key part of the students' 'reading letters', all of which will be due Wednesday, due to the short week.
Writing
Students will continue revising and editing their best piece of work from the 'Sensory Series'. The students will be working on publishing a piece of their own work in order to share it with the class before the end of the week. Particular attention will also be paid to their Oral Language skills during the reading of their published work in our 'Author's Chair'.
Science:
I was mistaken last week when I wrote that we would be studying, planning and building dams. That is what we will be doing this week. Last week we looked at the affect that hills and mountains have on the flow of water. This week's learning experiences about Dams and the water cycle should tie together perfectly with our Field Trip where we will get to witness models about the flow of water in our world and see how dams work.
Spelling and Character Studies:
We will not be having any spelling or character studies lessons this week due to the short week and field trip.
Thanks to everyone who volunteered to join us this Friday. I'm looking forward to a fun-filled day of learning this Friday!! Here's to a great week,
Jordan Rose
This is a short week in grade 4, as we begin on Tuesday and will be going on a field trip on Friday. This means we'll be very busy Tuesday through Thursday.
Before I detail our classroom activities here are IMPORTANT REMINDERS about our Field Trip:
For our field trip Friday all students will need to wear a Discovery School shirt so that we can easily identify our students at Chiminike. Also, our buses need to leave on time at 8:10. This means that all students need to be here by 7:50 at the latest. If any student shows up late they will need to stay behind and work in one of the other elementary classrooms for the day. Finally please remember that each student needs a snack to bring with them on the field trip...they will not be able to buy anything until they get back to school at 12:00, so having money will not be useful for purchasing a snack. Thanks!
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES:
Reading:
Having practiced using 'Context Clues' to understand confusing words in our guided reading novel 'Stone Fox', the students will now practice finding and deducing meaning from challenging words in their self selected reading books. This 'context clue' reading skill that we practice will also be a key part of the students' 'reading letters', all of which will be due Wednesday, due to the short week.
Writing
Students will continue revising and editing their best piece of work from the 'Sensory Series'. The students will be working on publishing a piece of their own work in order to share it with the class before the end of the week. Particular attention will also be paid to their Oral Language skills during the reading of their published work in our 'Author's Chair'.
Science:
I was mistaken last week when I wrote that we would be studying, planning and building dams. That is what we will be doing this week. Last week we looked at the affect that hills and mountains have on the flow of water. This week's learning experiences about Dams and the water cycle should tie together perfectly with our Field Trip where we will get to witness models about the flow of water in our world and see how dams work.
Spelling and Character Studies:
We will not be having any spelling or character studies lessons this week due to the short week and field trip.
Thanks to everyone who volunteered to join us this Friday. I'm looking forward to a fun-filled day of learning this Friday!! Here's to a great week,
Jordan Rose
Monday, October 4, 2010
Grade 4 Class Activities For The Week of Oct. 5-9
Dear parents and students,
I hope everyone is well.
IMPORTANT NEWS: Friday October 15th grade 4 will be going on our first field trip of the year!! We will be attending the Children's Museum, Chiminike to gain some first hand knowledge about the water cycle and build on what we've been learning about land and water in our current Science unit. The cost of the trip will be 40 lempiras per student, and there will be a permission form with the specific information going home this week. If any parents wish to volunteer to come join us for this field trip please send me an email at: jrose@discovery.edu.hn
Also, we have noticed at Discovery School lately that a lot of our student have been showing up late for class. We understand that there are a lot of traffic situations that make it difficult to be on time some days, but we are asking all the parents to please do your best to make sure that your child arrives at school and is in class no later than 8 am each morning. Thank you!!
CLASS ACTIVITIES THIS WEEK:
Math- This week we will be beginning chapter 3 in our Math Textbook. Chapter 3 focuses on multiplication and division. This week will focus on finding patterns in our multiplication table that will help us remember our multiplication facts, and working on mental strategies that will help us solve multiplication problems in our heads. As I wrote last week, it never hurts to check to see if your child still remembers their basic facts from grade 3, because each student will need to quickly recall their times tables to succeed in this section of our Math program.
Reading- Our 'reading letters' are improving with each week! Each student needs to write a 'reading letter' once a week, and it is due either on Tuesday or Wednesday depending on their group number. The students need to use their time appropriately reading, thinking, writing, and revising in class time and at home in order to complete a quality letter each week. This week during independent reading time we will be reviewing the use of 'thinkstrips' during reading and how they can be used to help us write quality letters, and we will be focusing specifically on working on finding text-to-text connections between our books and books we've read in the past. We will also spend time reading our new class novel, "Stone Fox" during our guided reading periods. While reading we will be working on how to understand unfamiliar words using the reading skill: 'context clues'.
Writing- This week we will conclude our 5 part 'sensory series' of descriptive writing. Each student will then choose their favourite piece of writing from those 5 and we will begin working on 'publishing' this piece. Publishing for the students will mean taking a piece of work and making it the absolute best they can through revision and careful editing. In the end each student should have a piece of written work that they are proud of and can share.
Science- In Science this week we will be learning about where our drinking water comes from, and we will continue discussing the importance of water conservation. We will also be discussing the SCIENCE FAIR and about the process of preparing an excellent Science Experiment. Finally we will be looking at creating a model of a dam at the end of the week. I'm looking forward to a fun, messy, and educational learning experience for that one!
Spelling- This week's spelling words will focus on the OY, OI and OU/OW sounds.
Character Studies: We will be learning about the important character trait that is: Honesty.
Here's to a wonderful week in Grade 4. If you have any questions about our upcoming fieldtrip, or if you would like to volunteer to join us, please contact me this week. All the best,
Jordan Rose
I hope everyone is well.
IMPORTANT NEWS: Friday October 15th grade 4 will be going on our first field trip of the year!! We will be attending the Children's Museum, Chiminike to gain some first hand knowledge about the water cycle and build on what we've been learning about land and water in our current Science unit. The cost of the trip will be 40 lempiras per student, and there will be a permission form with the specific information going home this week. If any parents wish to volunteer to come join us for this field trip please send me an email at: jrose@discovery.edu.hn
Also, we have noticed at Discovery School lately that a lot of our student have been showing up late for class. We understand that there are a lot of traffic situations that make it difficult to be on time some days, but we are asking all the parents to please do your best to make sure that your child arrives at school and is in class no later than 8 am each morning. Thank you!!
CLASS ACTIVITIES THIS WEEK:
Math- This week we will be beginning chapter 3 in our Math Textbook. Chapter 3 focuses on multiplication and division. This week will focus on finding patterns in our multiplication table that will help us remember our multiplication facts, and working on mental strategies that will help us solve multiplication problems in our heads. As I wrote last week, it never hurts to check to see if your child still remembers their basic facts from grade 3, because each student will need to quickly recall their times tables to succeed in this section of our Math program.
Reading- Our 'reading letters' are improving with each week! Each student needs to write a 'reading letter' once a week, and it is due either on Tuesday or Wednesday depending on their group number. The students need to use their time appropriately reading, thinking, writing, and revising in class time and at home in order to complete a quality letter each week. This week during independent reading time we will be reviewing the use of 'thinkstrips' during reading and how they can be used to help us write quality letters, and we will be focusing specifically on working on finding text-to-text connections between our books and books we've read in the past. We will also spend time reading our new class novel, "Stone Fox" during our guided reading periods. While reading we will be working on how to understand unfamiliar words using the reading skill: 'context clues'.
Writing- This week we will conclude our 5 part 'sensory series' of descriptive writing. Each student will then choose their favourite piece of writing from those 5 and we will begin working on 'publishing' this piece. Publishing for the students will mean taking a piece of work and making it the absolute best they can through revision and careful editing. In the end each student should have a piece of written work that they are proud of and can share.
Science- In Science this week we will be learning about where our drinking water comes from, and we will continue discussing the importance of water conservation. We will also be discussing the SCIENCE FAIR and about the process of preparing an excellent Science Experiment. Finally we will be looking at creating a model of a dam at the end of the week. I'm looking forward to a fun, messy, and educational learning experience for that one!
Spelling- This week's spelling words will focus on the OY, OI and OU/OW sounds.
Character Studies: We will be learning about the important character trait that is: Honesty.
Here's to a wonderful week in Grade 4. If you have any questions about our upcoming fieldtrip, or if you would like to volunteer to join us, please contact me this week. All the best,
Jordan Rose
Monday, September 27, 2010
Activities for the last week of September
Hello Parents and Students:
I hope everyone's well and enjoying our weekly class blog posts. I am curious to know how many parents and students are able to check this blog, so if you could please do me a favour and write a short comment at the bottom of this post with your name so that I have an idea of who is and isn't reading this. Thanks very much!
This is an exciting week in grade four. We have begun our first Science unit and will be conducting our second experiment of the year. We will also be having our second chapter test in Mathematics and our first Grammar quiz.
Here is an overview of what we will be learning in grade 4 this week:
Math
We will be continuing to learn about algebraic equations and the use of variables. Tuesday and Wednesday will give us a chance to review and then Thursday we will have our CHAPTER 2 TEST. The test will cover the work we have done in addition, subtraction, word problems, and algebra. Friday will mark the start of Chapter 3 on Multiplication. So parents if you have a minute next weekend please check the state of your child's basic multiplication facts. (what's 6 X 7? what's 5 X 9? etc.) Also, as usual there will be a practice test going home Wednesday before the test if you would like to see if your child is prepared for the Chapter 2 Test.
Reading
We will be working on getting into the routine of handing in our weekly 'reading letter' at the appropriate time, with the appropriate content. Each student's letter will either be due every Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on their group number. The students will need to manage their time in and out of the classroom independently to make sure this work gets done and handed in on time.
We will also be starting a new novel for our guided reading period. The novel is called 'Stone Fox' and this week we'll be working on reading for comprehension, and understanding the reading skill of identifying the steps in a process.
Writing
We will be continuing with our sensory descriptive writing. This week we'll focus on imagining and describing our favourite sound and smell in the world. I can almost smell and hear it now.
Grammar
We will be having our first grammar quiz of the year. The students will need to use their knowledge of nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs to identify and differentiate these four parts of speech.
Science
Following the success of our first Science experiment, we will be learning about the water cycle and complete an experiment that asks the students to create a model that recreates the formation of streams.
This science unit is titled 'Land and Water' and focuses on how the earth is shaped by the continuous flow of water in all of it's states.
Spelling
Our focus is on two syllable words with two short vowels sounds. The words are: windmill, cannot, dentist, until, solid, cactus, contact, success, product, within, comment, napkin, suggest, insect, invent.
Character Studies
This weeks character trait that we'll investigate is: Trustworthiness
Here's to an excellent week in Grade 4!! And remember if you are reading this could you please write in a short comment with your name. Thanks very much,
Jordan Rose
I hope everyone's well and enjoying our weekly class blog posts. I am curious to know how many parents and students are able to check this blog, so if you could please do me a favour and write a short comment at the bottom of this post with your name so that I have an idea of who is and isn't reading this. Thanks very much!
This is an exciting week in grade four. We have begun our first Science unit and will be conducting our second experiment of the year. We will also be having our second chapter test in Mathematics and our first Grammar quiz.
Here is an overview of what we will be learning in grade 4 this week:
Math
We will be continuing to learn about algebraic equations and the use of variables. Tuesday and Wednesday will give us a chance to review and then Thursday we will have our CHAPTER 2 TEST. The test will cover the work we have done in addition, subtraction, word problems, and algebra. Friday will mark the start of Chapter 3 on Multiplication. So parents if you have a minute next weekend please check the state of your child's basic multiplication facts. (what's 6 X 7? what's 5 X 9? etc.) Also, as usual there will be a practice test going home Wednesday before the test if you would like to see if your child is prepared for the Chapter 2 Test.
Reading
We will be working on getting into the routine of handing in our weekly 'reading letter' at the appropriate time, with the appropriate content. Each student's letter will either be due every Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on their group number. The students will need to manage their time in and out of the classroom independently to make sure this work gets done and handed in on time.
We will also be starting a new novel for our guided reading period. The novel is called 'Stone Fox' and this week we'll be working on reading for comprehension, and understanding the reading skill of identifying the steps in a process.
Writing
We will be continuing with our sensory descriptive writing. This week we'll focus on imagining and describing our favourite sound and smell in the world. I can almost smell and hear it now.
Grammar
We will be having our first grammar quiz of the year. The students will need to use their knowledge of nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs to identify and differentiate these four parts of speech.
Science
Following the success of our first Science experiment, we will be learning about the water cycle and complete an experiment that asks the students to create a model that recreates the formation of streams.
This science unit is titled 'Land and Water' and focuses on how the earth is shaped by the continuous flow of water in all of it's states.
Spelling
Our focus is on two syllable words with two short vowels sounds. The words are: windmill, cannot, dentist, until, solid, cactus, contact, success, product, within, comment, napkin, suggest, insect, invent.
Character Studies
This weeks character trait that we'll investigate is: Trustworthiness
Here's to an excellent week in Grade 4!! And remember if you are reading this could you please write in a short comment with your name. Thanks very much,
Jordan Rose
Monday, September 20, 2010
Class Activities for the Week of September 20-24
Hello parents and students,
Here's an overview of what we will be learning in fourth grade this week:
MATH:
In our math lessons we will be working on fully understanding the relationship between addition and subtraction. We also be working on understanding word problems that require addition and subtraction. To do so we will need to review our math vocabulary and how to properly read and interpret word problems. By the end of the week we will move into creating math expressions from word sentences and introducing the idea of algebraic expressions. Yes indeed....it is time for Algebra!!!
READING:
We will be working with 'thinkstrips' during our reading periods this week. Thinkstrips will help us remember exactly what were thinking about when we're reading, and will make it easier to write interesting 'reading letters' every week. We will also review the procedures for writing and proofreading a quality 'reading letter' once more, and I plan to spend time conferencing with the students during independent reading time to check to see how everything is going with their self selected reading.
WRITING:
In writing we will review all of the many reasons to write. We will focus one lesson on writing to express feelings and emotions, and the cathartic joy that can come as a result. We will then work on writing a journal entry in this fashion. Later in the week we will be working on writing descriptive notebook entries using our five senses. Our focus this week will be on the sense of touch and hearing.
GRAMMAR:
Having learned about Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives, and Adverbs we will work on identifying these parts of speech in a piece of text, and talking about how we use these parts of speech in our writing.
SCIENCE
Our theme periods have been switched from Social Studies to Science! This week we will be introducing the 'scientific method' and some of the terminology that the students will need to understand for November's Science Fair project. We will then move into our first science unit on Land and Water.
CHARACTER STUDIES:
This week's focus will be on the importance of responsibility.
SPELLING
Our spelling words this week will focus on the long u sound. The words this week are:
rescue, few, view, move, due, true, drew, crew, boost, proof, troop, suit, fruit, juice, bruise
Please help your child think of as many different words with that long u sound, and the different letter combinations that can make the sound.
Thanks to all the parents who check this blog. I will be sending a group email soon about ideas that I have for field trips in the future. If you have any ideas or questions in the meantime feel free to email me at my discovery school address: jrose@discoveryschool.hn.edu
Here's to a great week!
Here's an overview of what we will be learning in fourth grade this week:
MATH:
In our math lessons we will be working on fully understanding the relationship between addition and subtraction. We also be working on understanding word problems that require addition and subtraction. To do so we will need to review our math vocabulary and how to properly read and interpret word problems. By the end of the week we will move into creating math expressions from word sentences and introducing the idea of algebraic expressions. Yes indeed....it is time for Algebra!!!
READING:
We will be working with 'thinkstrips' during our reading periods this week. Thinkstrips will help us remember exactly what were thinking about when we're reading, and will make it easier to write interesting 'reading letters' every week. We will also review the procedures for writing and proofreading a quality 'reading letter' once more, and I plan to spend time conferencing with the students during independent reading time to check to see how everything is going with their self selected reading.
WRITING:
In writing we will review all of the many reasons to write. We will focus one lesson on writing to express feelings and emotions, and the cathartic joy that can come as a result. We will then work on writing a journal entry in this fashion. Later in the week we will be working on writing descriptive notebook entries using our five senses. Our focus this week will be on the sense of touch and hearing.
GRAMMAR:
Having learned about Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives, and Adverbs we will work on identifying these parts of speech in a piece of text, and talking about how we use these parts of speech in our writing.
SCIENCE
Our theme periods have been switched from Social Studies to Science! This week we will be introducing the 'scientific method' and some of the terminology that the students will need to understand for November's Science Fair project. We will then move into our first science unit on Land and Water.
CHARACTER STUDIES:
This week's focus will be on the importance of responsibility.
SPELLING
Our spelling words this week will focus on the long u sound. The words this week are:
rescue, few, view, move, due, true, drew, crew, boost, proof, troop, suit, fruit, juice, bruise
Please help your child think of as many different words with that long u sound, and the different letter combinations that can make the sound.
Thanks to all the parents who check this blog. I will be sending a group email soon about ideas that I have for field trips in the future. If you have any ideas or questions in the meantime feel free to email me at my discovery school address: jrose@discoveryschool.hn.edu
Here's to a great week!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Short Week of Sept. 16th and 17th
Hello everybody,
I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday over the past 5 days. I'm happy to see that all 15 students were in class today, ready to learn.
Thanks to all the parents who came out and celebrated Honduran Independence Day with us last Friday. The celebration was a big success, as was our float and our awesome rendition of 'La Cancion de Mi Pais'.
Classroom Activities For The Week
Math: We will be continuing to work on our mental math skills for addition and subtraction. We will also be practicing adding in columns with three or more numbers and subtracting in columns with two different three and four digit numbers. If you're interested in practicing mental math skills at home ask your child to show show the 'close to 1000' game. It's played with two dice and gives the student a chance to practice adding and subtracting in their head while having a bit of fun.
Reading: We will be editing our second 'Reading Letter' in class. Remembering what important steps we have to take when proofreading and editing. We will also be doing some guided reading together in our National Geographic magazines.
Science: We will have our first science class of the year. I will be introducing the students to the fun of science and the concepts of the 'scientific method' that they will need for their science fair projects later this quarter.
Grammar: Because this is a short week we will wait til monday to continue our spelling lessons. Instead on Friday we will review adverbs and follow up on an activity that we began last week.
Here's to a fun few days and then our Class Lunch on Saturday!!
I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday over the past 5 days. I'm happy to see that all 15 students were in class today, ready to learn.
Thanks to all the parents who came out and celebrated Honduran Independence Day with us last Friday. The celebration was a big success, as was our float and our awesome rendition of 'La Cancion de Mi Pais'.
Classroom Activities For The Week
Math: We will be continuing to work on our mental math skills for addition and subtraction. We will also be practicing adding in columns with three or more numbers and subtracting in columns with two different three and four digit numbers. If you're interested in practicing mental math skills at home ask your child to show show the 'close to 1000' game. It's played with two dice and gives the student a chance to practice adding and subtracting in their head while having a bit of fun.
Reading: We will be editing our second 'Reading Letter' in class. Remembering what important steps we have to take when proofreading and editing. We will also be doing some guided reading together in our National Geographic magazines.
Science: We will have our first science class of the year. I will be introducing the students to the fun of science and the concepts of the 'scientific method' that they will need for their science fair projects later this quarter.
Grammar: Because this is a short week we will wait til monday to continue our spelling lessons. Instead on Friday we will review adverbs and follow up on an activity that we began last week.
Here's to a fun few days and then our Class Lunch on Saturday!!
Monday, September 6, 2010
Independence Day Float Update
Thanks to Mrs. Virna Mendoza we have a plan for our Independence Day float. We will be combining with the grade 2 classes here at Discovery School to sing a song and decorate our Honduran cultural float. Our job in grade 4 will be to try to find some native dress that we can wear this Friday, and to help decorate the float with pictures that represent Hondurans Native culture.
If you have the time and resources to spend some time with your child searching online for and printing out pictures of Honduran Native culture that would be very helpful. And of course any Native dress that they might wear would be excellent. For those that do not have anything such as that may I suggest wearing a Honduran Soccer team shirt, or perhaps jeans and cowboy hats for boys.
Thanks again and if you have any questions please contact me.
Jordan Rose
Oh and I almost forgot: if you are curious about our Spelling words this week we will be focusing on the long I sound. The words are: knight, supply, mild, grind, type, pirate, mighty, find, mile, slight, pilot, blind, flight, style, midnight.
If you have the time and resources to spend some time with your child searching online for and printing out pictures of Honduran Native culture that would be very helpful. And of course any Native dress that they might wear would be excellent. For those that do not have anything such as that may I suggest wearing a Honduran Soccer team shirt, or perhaps jeans and cowboy hats for boys.
Thanks again and if you have any questions please contact me.
Jordan Rose
Oh and I almost forgot: if you are curious about our Spelling words this week we will be focusing on the long I sound. The words are: knight, supply, mild, grind, type, pirate, mighty, find, mile, slight, pilot, blind, flight, style, midnight.
Class Activities for the Week of Sept. 5th to Sept. 10th
Hello Parents and Students!
I hope everyone is looking forward to a great week and then a bit of time off for our Independence Day holiday.
This week in MATH we will be learning new strategies for adding and subtracting numbers in our heads, and getting lots of practice with our 'mental math'. By the end of the week we will be moving into adding three or more numbers at a time using the classic algorhythm method.
This week in READER'S WORKSHOP I will be conducting our A-Z reading assessments in order to have an idea of each student's personal reading level at this early stage in the school year. We will also be working on creating the guidelines and expectations for our 'Reader's Letter'. The 'Reader's Letter' is an activity that each student will be responsible for once a week where they will write me a letter that discusses anything and everything that they think about while reading their current book. There is a full outline of this activity in a letter from me that can be found glued into the students' Reader's Notebook.
This week in WRITER'S WORKSHOP we will be having a proofreading lesson using their first 'Reader's Letter'. We will go over the things each student should do when it comes time to proofread and edit a piece of work, specifically their weekly letter. Later in the week we will be continuing with the students' experiments with writing dialogue in the manner of our read-aloud book "Superfudge", by Judy Blume.
This week's GRAMMAR lesson will focus on adverbs. We will learn what an adverb is and how it is different from an adjective, how it is similar to an adjective, and how it can make storytelling a whole lot more exciting. We will then practice in pairs creating an adverb laden piece of writing to share with the class.
This week's SOCIAL STUDIES lessons will be used to prepare our Independence Day float. We are still in need of a lot of assistance on this one from parent's and students. Again the focus is on Honduran Native Culture, so if our families have any materials that could be used as decoration or costumes or a wagon of some kind, could you please send them in with your child in the next few days. Any assistance would be much appreciated. Thank you!
Also the school is asking for a 100 Lempira per family donation for our Independence Day celebration to be used for decorations and examples of local food for all the children.
And speaking of money: if you have not yet sent in 500 Lempiras for your child's classroom yet, could you please do so soon. This money goes towards purchasing school supplies and educational materials for our room and the art room throughout the year. Thank you.
I hope we all have a great week. All the best,
Jordan Rose
Monday, August 30, 2010
Activities for the week of Aug 30th to Sept. 3
Hello parents and students:
Here's an outline of the activities we'll be doing in fourth grade this week:
Reading: We'll be talking about what it means to be thinking and reading at the same time. To do so we'll be writing down the connections that we can find between ourselves and the books that we're reading. We'll also write our first 'book letter' to Mr. Rose. The letter will be about everything that the student is thinking about while reading their book. Such as what they like or dislike about the book, the connections they find, predictions for the rest of the book, things they like/dislike about the author's writing, etc.
Writing: We'll be talking about what to do when we think we're done writing. (hint: we're never done!) We'll also be continuing our read aloud, Judy Blume's 'Superfudge' and analyzing why we like the book so much. (realistic storyline, funny dialogue, etc.) We will work on imitating Blume's style by writing our own dialogue in our notebooks.
Math: MATH TEST WEDNESDAY!!!! Our first chapter test of the year comes Wednesday. Tuesday will be review day, and I will send home a practice test that will mirror the actual test given Wednesday. Afterwards it's on to addition and subtraction in chapter two.
Social Studies: We will finish our study of our final two continents, Africa and Australasia. On Tuesday and Wednesday we will begin a map/research assignment that will ask the students to choose a country, create their own map, and find some information about that country online. THE STUDENTS WILL NEED TIME TO SEARCH ONLINE AT HOME AT THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE:
www.kids.yahoo.com/reference.world-factbook
This is a quality website with tons of maps and interesting geography facts. I would like for each student to get used to searching for information online effectively.
Grammar: We will be talking about how to write effective and interesting sentences using ADVERBS and ADJECTIVES. Everybody's two favourite parts of speech!
Character Studies: Discussing the meaning and importance of Honesty in and outside of the classroom.
Finally to all the parents reading this is my first request for help with our grade four classroom:
NEXT FRIDAY, AUGUST THE 10TH IS OUR INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION HERE AT THE SCHOOL. OUR CLASS WILL BE CREATING A FLOAT FOR OUR PARADE THAT WILL BE DEDICATED TO THE DIFFERENT ETHNIC GROUPS IN HONDURAS.
Unfortunately I know nothing about the ethnic groups of Honduras at the moment, so any assistance or advice would be welcomed. Please email or call if you would like to help in any way.
Thanks again,
Jordan Rose
Here's an outline of the activities we'll be doing in fourth grade this week:
Reading: We'll be talking about what it means to be thinking and reading at the same time. To do so we'll be writing down the connections that we can find between ourselves and the books that we're reading. We'll also write our first 'book letter' to Mr. Rose. The letter will be about everything that the student is thinking about while reading their book. Such as what they like or dislike about the book, the connections they find, predictions for the rest of the book, things they like/dislike about the author's writing, etc.
Writing: We'll be talking about what to do when we think we're done writing. (hint: we're never done!) We'll also be continuing our read aloud, Judy Blume's 'Superfudge' and analyzing why we like the book so much. (realistic storyline, funny dialogue, etc.) We will work on imitating Blume's style by writing our own dialogue in our notebooks.
Math: MATH TEST WEDNESDAY!!!! Our first chapter test of the year comes Wednesday. Tuesday will be review day, and I will send home a practice test that will mirror the actual test given Wednesday. Afterwards it's on to addition and subtraction in chapter two.
Social Studies: We will finish our study of our final two continents, Africa and Australasia. On Tuesday and Wednesday we will begin a map/research assignment that will ask the students to choose a country, create their own map, and find some information about that country online. THE STUDENTS WILL NEED TIME TO SEARCH ONLINE AT HOME AT THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE:
www.kids.yahoo.com/reference.world-factbook
This is a quality website with tons of maps and interesting geography facts. I would like for each student to get used to searching for information online effectively.
Grammar: We will be talking about how to write effective and interesting sentences using ADVERBS and ADJECTIVES. Everybody's two favourite parts of speech!
Character Studies: Discussing the meaning and importance of Honesty in and outside of the classroom.
Finally to all the parents reading this is my first request for help with our grade four classroom:
NEXT FRIDAY, AUGUST THE 10TH IS OUR INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION HERE AT THE SCHOOL. OUR CLASS WILL BE CREATING A FLOAT FOR OUR PARADE THAT WILL BE DEDICATED TO THE DIFFERENT ETHNIC GROUPS IN HONDURAS.
Unfortunately I know nothing about the ethnic groups of Honduras at the moment, so any assistance or advice would be welcomed. Please email or call if you would like to help in any way.
Thanks again,
Jordan Rose
Friday, August 27, 2010
Open House Information for Grade 4 Parents
Dear Parents:
Thank you to those of you who made it out for this mornings open house. To those parents who were not able to attend the following document is an outline of what we will be doing in class, and an idea of what to expect in terms of homework, discipline and classroom expectations. I would also like to ask those parents who I have not spoken with yet to please let me know if your child has access to the internet. The reason being that I would like to assign occasional activities that require the students to search online for information. I would also like to ask for some assistance in terms of planning field trips and other fun class activities throughout the year. As I am new to Honduras and the Spanish language I think I will need help in certain areas throughout the year. I know that in some classes they have 'classroom Mom's' who help out with this stuff. I don't think this is necessary exactly but if you could contact me if you have any ideas for some fun and educational activities outside of class that you might be able to help organize I would really appreciate it. And when we have events that may require assistance I'll be sure to let you know ahead of time so that you might participate and lend a hand if you're available to do so. My contact info and blog address can be found at the bottom of the following document. I look forward to continued contact with all of you throughout the year. All the best,
Jordan Rose
Classroom Information
Reading
We will focus a lot of time in the classroom on strengthening your child’s English reading skills, and helping them on the path to becoming a lifelong reader. In the class I have two main ways of teaching reading: the first is called reader’s workshop where the students will work on becoming better readers while reading independently and responding in written and oral form to the different texts that they read. The second is through guided reading where the class or groups within the class will read the same text together while thinking and discussing what they read and then practicing skills that will improve their reading appreciation and comprehension.
Writing/Grammar/Spelling
For our writing periods the class will spend most of the time in sessions that I call writer’s workshop. In these periods I will give the students lessons on how to write effectively in English, and then give them the freedom to write and practice these lessons in their writer’s notebook. There will be some whole-class writing assignments that I will give them, but the majority of periods the student’s will be encouraged to write things that are interesting to them, and things that they can then share with me and their classmates.
Grammar lessons will focus on the students’ learning important grammar rules and learning how to craft quality sentences and paragraphs.
Spelling lessons will work on building the students’ vocabulary and their grasp of the confusing rules of spelling properly in the English language. The lessons will introduce fifteen new words each Monday, the students then have until Friday morning to craft 5 good sentences using 5 of the 15 words and draw 5 pictures that demonstrate their understanding of 5 other words. They will also be quizzed on the entire 15 words that morning.
Math
Our math program follows the well-renowned Scott Foresman/Addison Wesley Grade 4 Math program. I will be following this program and covering roughly one lesson, per one hour class session. The students will have a follow-up homework assignment each evening that allows them to review and practice what they learned in class that day. There will be a test at the end of each chapter, and quizzes periodically to assess the students’ learning. I am planning to cover 3 chapters of the program each quarter.
Theme
Our theme unit is divided into two sections, Social Studies and Science. I plan to alternate these two sections to make it easier for the students to focus and to keep our classroom from getting too crowded with projects and homework assignments. There will be one Social Studies unit and one Science unit that we will learn about per quarter.
Character Studies
I plan to devote one period a week to understanding and fostering quality character traits within each student. These traits will focus on concepts such as: respect, honesty, responsibility, fairness, friendship, citizenship, and diligence. These lessons will focus on what it means to be a good person as well as a good student.
Homework
Almost every night your child will have reading homework and math homework. The reading homework most nights will be simply to read 20-30 minutes of the book that they are currently reading. EACH STUDENT SHOULD HAVE A BOOK THAT THEY ARE READING AT HOME AND IN CLASS. THIS BOOK GOES HOME EVERY NIGHT FOR HOMEWORK AND MUST COME BACK EVERYDAY IN THEIR BAGS. The math homework will likely be a photocopied page from that day’s math lesson, as I discussed above. The spelling homework will be due each Friday and will be completed in their spelling notebook. There will also be occasional theme and writing projects that may require parental assistance and/or computer and internet access.
If you ever have a question about homework please refer to your child’s “Learning Log”. It is a small blue notebook where they record their homework each night. If they can’t explain what it is they need to do for homework then they probably haven’t been paying full attention in class and will need to be reminded to do so.
Discipline
The Rules of the Our Class Are: 1) Respect your teacher 2) Respect your Classmates 3) Always Try!! 4) No Whining!! 5) Ask before speaking Spanish
The students should have a good grasp on these rules by now and the type of behaviour I expect from them. I have a simple 3 strike policy for punishing anyone who breaks one of our rules. The first strike of the day results in a warning, or yellow card for the student. The second strike is a red card and will lead to a timeout, either at the back of the classroom or in the adjacent class. The third strike will be more serious and will result in a discussion with Miss Cristiana or Miss Giles. At this point I will also likely call home to discuss the student’s behaviour with one of his or her parents.
Contact jrose@discoveryschool.hn or 95800073 blog: mrrosesclassblog@blogspot.com
Monday, August 23, 2010
Open House This Friday!
Greetings parents and students,
Well we are off to a great start in grade 4 this year. I am looking forward to getting together with all our classroom parents at our open house. Unfortunately it wasn't possible this past Thursday due to the weather and transportation issues. We have re-scheduled the open house for this coming Friday, August 27th. The meeting will be from 7 am to 8 am in our grade 4 classroom. At 8 o'clock classes will begin and there will a parental meeting with members of the school administration at the cafeteria from 8 to 9. Refreshments will be provided.
I hope all of you can make it. I look forward to giving you an idea of what will be going on in grade four this year and answering all the questions you might have this Friday morning. Have a great week and I will see you then!!
Jordan Rose
Well we are off to a great start in grade 4 this year. I am looking forward to getting together with all our classroom parents at our open house. Unfortunately it wasn't possible this past Thursday due to the weather and transportation issues. We have re-scheduled the open house for this coming Friday, August 27th. The meeting will be from 7 am to 8 am in our grade 4 classroom. At 8 o'clock classes will begin and there will a parental meeting with members of the school administration at the cafeteria from 8 to 9. Refreshments will be provided.
I hope all of you can make it. I look forward to giving you an idea of what will be going on in grade four this year and answering all the questions you might have this Friday morning. Have a great week and I will see you then!!
Jordan Rose
Monday, August 9, 2010
Greetings From Your Fourth Grade Teacher Mr. Rose
Hello Students and Parents,
My name is Jordan Rose. I am a 33 year old Canadian Elementary School Teacher. I have recently moved to Tegucigalpa with my wife to begin teaching our fourth grade class here at Discovery School. I am very excited to meet my new students and to get started with our new school year.
I have been living and teaching overseas now for 10 years. I have taught students in Korea, Taiwan, Australia, and most recently in the United Arab Emirates at the American International School in Abu Dhabi. I love to travel and see new places, and I love working with students from all over the world. I am very happy to be here in Honduras and I look forward to learning all about the people and places in this beautiful country.
This year I will be posting information about the class to this blog every week, so if you have any questions about what your son or daughter is learning in our classroom this will be the place to find out. Also, I will post a picture of myself as soon as I have the chance, so that you can recognize me when you come to the Discovery School campus.
Here's to a wonderful year in grade four! I look forward to seeing you all very soon.
Yours sincerely,
Jordan Rose
My name is Jordan Rose. I am a 33 year old Canadian Elementary School Teacher. I have recently moved to Tegucigalpa with my wife to begin teaching our fourth grade class here at Discovery School. I am very excited to meet my new students and to get started with our new school year.
I have been living and teaching overseas now for 10 years. I have taught students in Korea, Taiwan, Australia, and most recently in the United Arab Emirates at the American International School in Abu Dhabi. I love to travel and see new places, and I love working with students from all over the world. I am very happy to be here in Honduras and I look forward to learning all about the people and places in this beautiful country.
This year I will be posting information about the class to this blog every week, so if you have any questions about what your son or daughter is learning in our classroom this will be the place to find out. Also, I will post a picture of myself as soon as I have the chance, so that you can recognize me when you come to the Discovery School campus.
Here's to a wonderful year in grade four! I look forward to seeing you all very soon.
Yours sincerely,
Jordan Rose
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