Monday, December 14, 2015
Friday, December 11, 2015
Weekly Update: 12/11
Happy Friday!! I can't believe we are just one week away from starting our winter break!
Writing: In writing this week we have continued to work on our personal narratives. We added dialogue and inner thinking to our pieces in order to give more details to our reader. Today we worked on how to end our personal narratives using reflection. We will be publishing and celebrating our hard work next week!
Reading: In reading this week we have been focusing on retelling the important parts of a book. We practiced using the retelling rainbow that reminds us to talk about characters, setting, problem, and solution. We began working with our groups today on how we are going to present the information we have gathered on our author. We will be presenting at the end of next week!
Science: In science this week we began using stations to interact with the material we are learning. We completed several activities centered around rocks and minerals. Today we did a starburst lab that showed us how the rock cycle works.
Math: In math we are working on chapter 7 which is on sequences and patterns. We learned how to identify and extend numeric and non-numeric patterns, use input and output, and how to plug in variables to an equation. The kids have been doing FANTASTIC! :)
We will be having our chapter 7 math test on Wednesday, December 16th.
Reminders:
12/16: Ch. 7 Math Test
12/19: Holiday Party 2-3
12/20 - 1/4 : No School-- Winter Break
Thank you to everyone who donated items for the Helping Hands fundraiser. Our classroom brought in over 100 items!!
Have a great weekend!
Sincerely,
Miss DiFranco
Writing: In writing this week we have continued to work on our personal narratives. We added dialogue and inner thinking to our pieces in order to give more details to our reader. Today we worked on how to end our personal narratives using reflection. We will be publishing and celebrating our hard work next week!
Reading: In reading this week we have been focusing on retelling the important parts of a book. We practiced using the retelling rainbow that reminds us to talk about characters, setting, problem, and solution. We began working with our groups today on how we are going to present the information we have gathered on our author. We will be presenting at the end of next week!
Science: In science this week we began using stations to interact with the material we are learning. We completed several activities centered around rocks and minerals. Today we did a starburst lab that showed us how the rock cycle works.
Math: In math we are working on chapter 7 which is on sequences and patterns. We learned how to identify and extend numeric and non-numeric patterns, use input and output, and how to plug in variables to an equation. The kids have been doing FANTASTIC! :)
We will be having our chapter 7 math test on Wednesday, December 16th.
Reminders:
12/16: Ch. 7 Math Test
12/19: Holiday Party 2-3
12/20 - 1/4 : No School-- Winter Break
Thank you to everyone who donated items for the Helping Hands fundraiser. Our classroom brought in over 100 items!!
Have a great weekend!
Sincerely,
Miss DiFranco
Friday, December 4, 2015
Weekly Update: 12/4
Happy Friday, everyone!
Writing: In writing this week we began a personal narrative unit and have been working on generating ideas of small moment stories we could write. Many of the kids chose to write about a memory that they had a special place or with an important person in their life. We have also been working on starting our stories with action or with dialogue in order to draw our reader in.
Reading: In reading we are working on our author study and specifically looked at setting and plot this week. We discussed the importance of the setting in our stories and discussed how the setting of a story could change our story completely. We also talked about the problem and solution of stories and identified them in the books we are reading.
Science: We are working on a new chapter about rocks and minerals and the kids are really enjoying it! We discussed the various ways we can classify minerals and also learned about the erosion of rocks.
Math: In math this week we finished up our chapter on long division and took our test. WOOHOO!! :) Everyone has been working so hard in this chapter and I am so proud of them! Please remind your kiddos to keep practicing those multiplication facts at home!
Reminders:
12/6-- 4:00 Music Concert
12/5-- Winter Festival
12/9-- Early Release
12/7 - 12/11 Last week of Helping Hands!
Have a great weekend!
Miss DiFranco
Writing: In writing this week we began a personal narrative unit and have been working on generating ideas of small moment stories we could write. Many of the kids chose to write about a memory that they had a special place or with an important person in their life. We have also been working on starting our stories with action or with dialogue in order to draw our reader in.
Reading: In reading we are working on our author study and specifically looked at setting and plot this week. We discussed the importance of the setting in our stories and discussed how the setting of a story could change our story completely. We also talked about the problem and solution of stories and identified them in the books we are reading.
Science: We are working on a new chapter about rocks and minerals and the kids are really enjoying it! We discussed the various ways we can classify minerals and also learned about the erosion of rocks.
Math: In math this week we finished up our chapter on long division and took our test. WOOHOO!! :) Everyone has been working so hard in this chapter and I am so proud of them! Please remind your kiddos to keep practicing those multiplication facts at home!
Reminders:
12/6-- 4:00 Music Concert
12/5-- Winter Festival
12/9-- Early Release
12/7 - 12/11 Last week of Helping Hands!
Have a great weekend!
Miss DiFranco
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Long Division Tutorial
Here is the link to a video that explains the way that we have been doing long division. I know some of the kids were feeling a little frustrated so I'm hoping this will help them, along with lots of practice!!
https://www.sophia.org/tutorials/long-division-its-a-family-thing
https://www.sophia.org/tutorials/long-division-its-a-family-thing
Friday, November 20, 2015
Weekly Update: 11/20
Happy Friday, everyone! I can't believe we only have two more days of school left until Thanksgiving break!
Writing: In writing this week we have been publishing our persuasive essays. The kids have been working on making sure they are including all parts of their essays: a thesis, an introduction, three reasons, three pieces of evidence for each reason, and a conclusion. We will be celebrating all of our hard work on Monday!
Reading: In reading this week we discussed how to choose reliable books and websites to use when we are researching. We discussed finding information about the author(s) and the publication date. Yesterday we began a new unit-- an author study! The kids have been grouped based on which author they wanted to learn more about and have been given books that they will be using as we study the author's craft.
Math: In math this week we are working on long division. We started off the week using models but I have been encouraging all students to use the algorithm the past few days. Multiplication facts are going to become even more important as we dig deeper into this chapter so please continue practicing those at home!
Social Studies: This week in social studies we have had the opportunity to have a special guest come to our classroom to talk to us about the Lewis and Clark expedition. The kids have been able to participate in activities and discussions about the topic and have really been enjoying it!
Reminders:
11/25 - 11/26: Helping Hands-- Personal Care Items
11/25 - 11/27 : No School
Have a great weekend!!
Sincerely,
Miss DiFranco
Friday, November 13, 2015
Weekly Update: 11/13
Happy Friday!!
Writing: In writing this week we have been working on our persuasive essays. We talked about similarities and differences between these essays and the previous essays we wrote (personal essays). Today the kiddos worked on finishing their first draft using transitions to connect their evidence to their thesis, strategies for introductions and conclusions, and even incorporating new types of evidence (interviews, quotes, surveys, etc.)
Reading: In reading this week we have been practicing looking across multiple texts and topics to gather evidence for a broader topic. We learned how to compare and contrast information and also learned how to recognize nonfiction author's purpose in using specific strategies and techniques. We are going to be finishing up our nonfiction unit at the beginning of next week and will be starting an author study!
Math: In math this week we wrapped up our unit on two-digit by two-digit multiplication. The kids also learned how to use a table to organize information when solving a problem. They took their test on Wednesday and the tests were given back yesterday. We started our next chapter on division today!
Social Studies: In social studies this week we finished up our chapter and gave the test today. Next week we are going to be having a special guest teacher come in during our social studies time to talk about Lewis and Clark. The kids are very excited!
Reminders:
11/ 16 - 11/ 20:
Cleaning products for helping hands (We have 65 items!)
11/ 17: Party Planning (6:15) and PTG Meeting (7)
11/18: Early Release
I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!
Sincerely,
Miss DiFranco
Writing: In writing this week we have been working on our persuasive essays. We talked about similarities and differences between these essays and the previous essays we wrote (personal essays). Today the kiddos worked on finishing their first draft using transitions to connect their evidence to their thesis, strategies for introductions and conclusions, and even incorporating new types of evidence (interviews, quotes, surveys, etc.)
Reading: In reading this week we have been practicing looking across multiple texts and topics to gather evidence for a broader topic. We learned how to compare and contrast information and also learned how to recognize nonfiction author's purpose in using specific strategies and techniques. We are going to be finishing up our nonfiction unit at the beginning of next week and will be starting an author study!
Math: In math this week we wrapped up our unit on two-digit by two-digit multiplication. The kids also learned how to use a table to organize information when solving a problem. They took their test on Wednesday and the tests were given back yesterday. We started our next chapter on division today!
Social Studies: In social studies this week we finished up our chapter and gave the test today. Next week we are going to be having a special guest teacher come in during our social studies time to talk about Lewis and Clark. The kids are very excited!
Reminders:
11/ 16 - 11/ 20:
Cleaning products for helping hands (We have 65 items!)
11/ 17: Party Planning (6:15) and PTG Meeting (7)
11/18: Early Release
I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!
Sincerely,
Miss DiFranco
Friday, November 6, 2015
Weekly Update: 11/6
Happy Friday!! I hope it has been a great week!!
Writing: This week we revised and edited our essays in preparation for our writing celebration today. We celebrated our writing by having donuts and orange juice around the "fireplace" (thank you, youtube!). The kids shared with their first grade buddies and with the members of our class. They did an amazing job!
Reading: In reading, the kids put finishing touches on their research projects and presented them on Wednesday. They worked so hard throughout this unit and they should be very proud of their presentations. Today, the groups switched topics and began making a plan for their next research project. The kids are looking forward to using their new knowledge to help this project be even better than the last!
Social Studies: We wrapped up our chapter on the first Missourians and had a test on Wednesday. We are beginning our next chapter on the arrival of the Europeans! The graded social studies tests will be coming home today.
Math: In math we started a new chapter on multiplying two digit numbers by two digit numbers. We have learned a variety of strategies and are seeing how our previous learning ties into this chapter. This is a short chapter so we will be having a test next Wednesday, November 11th. Please continue to encourage your child to practice their multiplication facts by using flashcards, multiplication.com, or quicktables on the ALEKS program!
Reminders:
11/9 - 11/ 13: Collecting paper products for Helping Hands
11/11 : Veteran's Day Assesmbly
11/11 : Math test
11/13: Picture Retake Day
I hope you have a wonderful weekend!!
Sincerely,
Miss DiFranco
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Weekly Update: 10/29
Happy Thursday!!! Thank you so much to all of the parents that donated items for our party and/or came to the party. We had a blast!!!
Writing: In writing this week, we began organizing our writing and thinking about the different ways that we can structure essays. We put all of our evidence together to make one cohesive essay. Some kids even started typing their essays on google drive. Everyone worked SO hard in writing this week!
Reading: We continued working in our research groups this week. Each group member researched a subtopic within their weather topics. They have been learning how to use articles, websites, and books to gather information. They have also been practicing taking notes while reading nonfiction texts. They will get to present their research next week!
Math: We finished up our multiplication chapter this week and had a test on chapter 4. The kids will be bringing their graded tests home on Monday!
I hope everyone has a wonderful 3 day weekend and a fun Halloween!
Sincerely,
Miss DiFranco
Writing: In writing this week, we began organizing our writing and thinking about the different ways that we can structure essays. We put all of our evidence together to make one cohesive essay. Some kids even started typing their essays on google drive. Everyone worked SO hard in writing this week!
Reading: We continued working in our research groups this week. Each group member researched a subtopic within their weather topics. They have been learning how to use articles, websites, and books to gather information. They have also been practicing taking notes while reading nonfiction texts. They will get to present their research next week!
Math: We finished up our multiplication chapter this week and had a test on chapter 4. The kids will be bringing their graded tests home on Monday!
I hope everyone has a wonderful 3 day weekend and a fun Halloween!
Sincerely,
Miss DiFranco
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Weekly Update: 10/23
Happy Sunday!! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.
Writing: In writing this week we wrote our thesis statement for our essays and began gathering evidence to support our reasons. Many of the kids chose to write about a special person in their life or a place that they like to visit. We spent this week writing stories and list and will be putting all of evidence together for our essay this coming week.
Reading: In reading this week we worked in our research groups researching a weather topic. Some of the topics are tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, floods, and earthquakes. The kids have been learning strategies to use when researching and have designated a job to each person in their groups. The research groups have given us the opportunity to use all that we have learned about nonfiction reading and taking notes.
Social Studies: In social studies we have started a new chapter about the first Missourians. The kids have been enjoying learning about the topic especially because it is connected to where we live today. We have had some excellent discussions that have showed that they are critically thinking as they read and applying what we are learning in reading to social studies!
Math: In math this week, we have continued to work on gathering strategies to use when multiplying one-digit by two-digit and three-digit numbers. We have also practiced how to read word problems carefully in order to understand if the question is asking for an exact answer or estimated answer. We will finish chapter 4 on Monday and will be having our chapter test on Wednesday, October 28th. Please encourage your child to begin studying tomorrow!
Upcoming Events:
10/26: Parent/ Teacher conferences
10/28: Parent/ Teacher conferences
10/29: Fall Party/ Pumpkin Run
10/30: No School
Please make sure that you send in your child's signed Pumpkin Run form before Thursday so that they can participate!! Thank you!!!
Sincerely,
Miss DiFranco
Writing: In writing this week we wrote our thesis statement for our essays and began gathering evidence to support our reasons. Many of the kids chose to write about a special person in their life or a place that they like to visit. We spent this week writing stories and list and will be putting all of evidence together for our essay this coming week.
Reading: In reading this week we worked in our research groups researching a weather topic. Some of the topics are tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, floods, and earthquakes. The kids have been learning strategies to use when researching and have designated a job to each person in their groups. The research groups have given us the opportunity to use all that we have learned about nonfiction reading and taking notes.
Social Studies: In social studies we have started a new chapter about the first Missourians. The kids have been enjoying learning about the topic especially because it is connected to where we live today. We have had some excellent discussions that have showed that they are critically thinking as they read and applying what we are learning in reading to social studies!
Math: In math this week, we have continued to work on gathering strategies to use when multiplying one-digit by two-digit and three-digit numbers. We have also practiced how to read word problems carefully in order to understand if the question is asking for an exact answer or estimated answer. We will finish chapter 4 on Monday and will be having our chapter test on Wednesday, October 28th. Please encourage your child to begin studying tomorrow!
Upcoming Events:
10/26: Parent/ Teacher conferences
10/28: Parent/ Teacher conferences
10/29: Fall Party/ Pumpkin Run
10/30: No School
Please make sure that you send in your child's signed Pumpkin Run form before Thursday so that they can participate!! Thank you!!!
Sincerely,
Miss DiFranco
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Friday, October 16, 2015
Weekly Update: 10/16
Happy Friday!! We have had a busy, busy week in fourth grade!
Writing: This week in writing he have been working on generating ideas for our next writing piece, essays! Many of the kids have chosen to write about family members, vacation spots, or special objects. We wrote our thesis statement and began working on collecting reasons to support our theses.
Reading: During reading this week, we are working on strategies we can use when reading nonfiction. We learned that nonfiction reading can be difficult but if we get ready to read the text beforehand it can be fun! We have also been talking about how we can find the main idea and supporting details in a nonfiction text.
Social Studies: We worked on our map of Missouri this week! The kids had a great time making their maps, labeling the border states, and painting the maps. We will finish labeling them next week and then they will be sent home with the kids. They had a great time doing this project.
Math: In math this week we started Chapter 4. In this chapter we learned about multiples, estimation, and also talked about two different strategies we can use when multiplying. I sent home flashcards with each of the kids this week. They should practice these a couple of times a week in order to become more fluent with their fact recall. :)
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!
Sincerely,
Miss DiFranco
Writing: This week in writing he have been working on generating ideas for our next writing piece, essays! Many of the kids have chosen to write about family members, vacation spots, or special objects. We wrote our thesis statement and began working on collecting reasons to support our theses.
Reading: During reading this week, we are working on strategies we can use when reading nonfiction. We learned that nonfiction reading can be difficult but if we get ready to read the text beforehand it can be fun! We have also been talking about how we can find the main idea and supporting details in a nonfiction text.
Social Studies: We worked on our map of Missouri this week! The kids had a great time making their maps, labeling the border states, and painting the maps. We will finish labeling them next week and then they will be sent home with the kids. They had a great time doing this project.
Math: In math this week we started Chapter 4. In this chapter we learned about multiples, estimation, and also talked about two different strategies we can use when multiplying. I sent home flashcards with each of the kids this week. They should practice these a couple of times a week in order to become more fluent with their fact recall. :)
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!
Sincerely,
Miss DiFranco
Friday, October 9, 2015
Weekly Update: 10/9
Happy Friday, everyone! Hope it has been a great week for you!
Writing: In writing this week we began a new unit on essay writing. We have been talking about the structure of an essay and gathering ideas this week. Some of the things we are gathering ideas about are people, places and objects that are special to us. They have done so well! We also celebrated all of our hard work from our past unit on realistic fiction by reading each other's published pieces.
Reading: In reading we also began a new unit. We are now working on learning how to read and understand nonfiction texts. The kids were able to choose a topic that interests them and are now reading them independently while practicing the skills we are learning. Some of those skills include: making a connection to our topic, previewing the text before beginning to read, figuring out how the text is structured, and using strategies to understand the difficult parts of our books. They seem very excited about their topics and are enjoying their reading time!
Social Studies: In social studies we have been learning about the regions of Missouri and are finishing up a project today where the kids were creating brochures about the different regions. They were asked to research the resources, major cities, sports, festivals, and land forms. On Monday, we are going to be making maps using the flour and salt combination that I sent a note home about on Monday. If your child has not brought in 1 cup of flour and 1/4 cup of salt in a ziplock baggie please send that in with them on Monday.
Math: We finished up chapter 3 in math this week. We spent time working on multiples, factors, multiplication properties, division rules, and of course, word problems.
We are working on getting our multiplication facts memorized. If you could spend some time at home with them practicing, as well, I think that they will feel much more confident. A couple of ways that you can practice multiplication facts are using flashcards, multiplication.com, or Quick Tables on ALEKS. :)
I know I sent an email about this earlier this week but we are still looking for anyone who has a connection to a pizza place that could donate pizza boxes to our class for our project on Monday. I appreciate any amount; we will need 23 boxes total to have enough for everyone in our class. Thank you!
Reminders:
10/ 12: Social Studies Map Project
10/16: Half day
Have a wonderful weekend!
Sincerely,
Meredith DiFranco
Writing: In writing this week we began a new unit on essay writing. We have been talking about the structure of an essay and gathering ideas this week. Some of the things we are gathering ideas about are people, places and objects that are special to us. They have done so well! We also celebrated all of our hard work from our past unit on realistic fiction by reading each other's published pieces.
Reading: In reading we also began a new unit. We are now working on learning how to read and understand nonfiction texts. The kids were able to choose a topic that interests them and are now reading them independently while practicing the skills we are learning. Some of those skills include: making a connection to our topic, previewing the text before beginning to read, figuring out how the text is structured, and using strategies to understand the difficult parts of our books. They seem very excited about their topics and are enjoying their reading time!
Social Studies: In social studies we have been learning about the regions of Missouri and are finishing up a project today where the kids were creating brochures about the different regions. They were asked to research the resources, major cities, sports, festivals, and land forms. On Monday, we are going to be making maps using the flour and salt combination that I sent a note home about on Monday. If your child has not brought in 1 cup of flour and 1/4 cup of salt in a ziplock baggie please send that in with them on Monday.
Math: We finished up chapter 3 in math this week. We spent time working on multiples, factors, multiplication properties, division rules, and of course, word problems.
We are working on getting our multiplication facts memorized. If you could spend some time at home with them practicing, as well, I think that they will feel much more confident. A couple of ways that you can practice multiplication facts are using flashcards, multiplication.com, or Quick Tables on ALEKS. :)
I know I sent an email about this earlier this week but we are still looking for anyone who has a connection to a pizza place that could donate pizza boxes to our class for our project on Monday. I appreciate any amount; we will need 23 boxes total to have enough for everyone in our class. Thank you!
Reminders:
10/ 12: Social Studies Map Project
10/16: Half day
Have a wonderful weekend!
Sincerely,
Meredith DiFranco
Friday, October 2, 2015
Weekly Update 10/2
Happy October and happy Friday! It feels like fall has arrived!
Writing: This week in writing we have been publishing our realistic fiction pieces. Everyone has been working so hard to get their pieces finished. I can't wait until Monday when we will celebrate all of the hard work that they have put into their writing so far this year!
Reading: We wrapped up our first unit in reading this week. We have been working on pushing our thinking when reading fiction books. We have been talking about the importance of writing down thoughts, questions, and interpretations as we read. Next week we will be starting our new unit and we are going to be working on learning how to become researchers! We are very excited!
Science: This week in science we worked on finishing our ecosystem projects and we presented them on Wednesday and Thursday. We also took a gallery walk around our room so that we could see everyone's hard work. We will be taking a break from science for a few weeks and will now be working on Social Studies.
Math: We started chapter 3 in math on Monday. Chapter 3 focuses on the relationship between multiplication and division. We have been looking at word problems this week and figuring out how we know which operation to use. We even learned some algebra - using variable when there is an unknown number in an equation! We will have our chapter 3 test on Friday, October 9th.
Homework: I have been noticing that there are many students who are forgetting to do or turn in their homework daily. Everyday I check their assignment notebooks at the end of the day and mark it with a star to say that I've seen it. Please remind your child to check their assignment notebook if they forget what their homework is. It is so important that they hold themselves accountable. Thank you so much for your help, I sincerely appreciate it!
Reminders:
10/9: Math Test
10/9 : Family Trivia Night
Have a great weekend!
Miss DiFranco
Writing: This week in writing we have been publishing our realistic fiction pieces. Everyone has been working so hard to get their pieces finished. I can't wait until Monday when we will celebrate all of the hard work that they have put into their writing so far this year!
Reading: We wrapped up our first unit in reading this week. We have been working on pushing our thinking when reading fiction books. We have been talking about the importance of writing down thoughts, questions, and interpretations as we read. Next week we will be starting our new unit and we are going to be working on learning how to become researchers! We are very excited!
Science: This week in science we worked on finishing our ecosystem projects and we presented them on Wednesday and Thursday. We also took a gallery walk around our room so that we could see everyone's hard work. We will be taking a break from science for a few weeks and will now be working on Social Studies.
Math: We started chapter 3 in math on Monday. Chapter 3 focuses on the relationship between multiplication and division. We have been looking at word problems this week and figuring out how we know which operation to use. We even learned some algebra - using variable when there is an unknown number in an equation! We will have our chapter 3 test on Friday, October 9th.
Homework: I have been noticing that there are many students who are forgetting to do or turn in their homework daily. Everyday I check their assignment notebooks at the end of the day and mark it with a star to say that I've seen it. Please remind your child to check their assignment notebook if they forget what their homework is. It is so important that they hold themselves accountable. Thank you so much for your help, I sincerely appreciate it!
Reminders:
10/9: Math Test
10/9 : Family Trivia Night
Have a great weekend!
Miss DiFranco
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Weekly Update 9/24
Happy THURSDAY!! This week flew by in our classroom!
Writing: This week in writing we continued working on revising our realistic fiction pieces. We also began editing our pieces using different lenses. Some of the things we looked for were: spelling, punctuation, and tense. Our pieces are really coming along and we will begin publishing next week!
Reading: This week in reading we have been practicing holding debates about our books with our reading partners. We have learned how to use our books to find evidence to defend our opinions and how we can decide on a topic that would be good to debate.
Science: We enjoyed our field trip to Shaw Nature Reserve yesterday and learned a lot!! It was so helpful in digging deeper with some of the topics we have been discussing this year. We also began working on an Ecosystem Project in order to understand the plants and animals that make up different ecosystems. The project will be due on Wednesday, September 30. We will work on the project in class.
Math: We finished up chapter 2 and took our test today. The kids did so well and I can really tell that they have been working hard throughout this chapter. The tests will be coming home on Monday.
Reminders:
No School: 9/25
Spelling Test :9/28
Science Project due: 9/30
I hope everyone has a relaxing weekend and that you get to enjoy the beautiful weather!
Sincerely,
Miss DiFranco
Writing: This week in writing we continued working on revising our realistic fiction pieces. We also began editing our pieces using different lenses. Some of the things we looked for were: spelling, punctuation, and tense. Our pieces are really coming along and we will begin publishing next week!
Reading: This week in reading we have been practicing holding debates about our books with our reading partners. We have learned how to use our books to find evidence to defend our opinions and how we can decide on a topic that would be good to debate.
Science: We enjoyed our field trip to Shaw Nature Reserve yesterday and learned a lot!! It was so helpful in digging deeper with some of the topics we have been discussing this year. We also began working on an Ecosystem Project in order to understand the plants and animals that make up different ecosystems. The project will be due on Wednesday, September 30. We will work on the project in class.
Math: We finished up chapter 2 and took our test today. The kids did so well and I can really tell that they have been working hard throughout this chapter. The tests will be coming home on Monday.
Reminders:
No School: 9/25
Spelling Test :9/28
Science Project due: 9/30
I hope everyone has a relaxing weekend and that you get to enjoy the beautiful weather!
Sincerely,
Miss DiFranco
Friday, September 18, 2015
Weekly Update 9/18
Happy Friday, everyone! We have been busy, busy, busy this week!
Writing: In writing this week we are switching gears from drafting to revision. We are focusing on our characters and how we can make them seem realistic. We are also practicing putting on different "lenses" when we revise in order to focus in on one aspect of our writing at a time. I can see the kid's writing improving everyday. I am very excited for the finished product!
Reading: This week we continued learning about characters and how their actions, words, and relationships can help us learn more about them. We also learned about how author's create characters that are complex instead of characters that have no flaws or struggles. Because we are focusing on our characters in our writing as well, we are able to apply what we know and extend our thinking even further.
Science: This week we talked about ecosystems and how living and nonliving things are effected by their environment. We also learned about producers, consumers, and decomposers and their roles. We talked about fossils, as well, and what they can tell us about the animal or plant they came from.
Math: This week we began our second chapter which focuses on adding and subtracting multi-digit whole numbers. We learned about the properties of addition and the rules of subtraction. We also talked about patterns and using estimation when adding and subtracting. We are now applying this knowledge to add and subtract multi-digit whole numbers. Our next math test will be on Thursday, September 24.
Reminders:
9/23: Field Trip to Shaw Nature Reserve
9/24: Chapter 2 Math Test
9/25: No School
I hope you have wonderful weekend!
Sincerely,
Miss DiFranco
Writing: In writing this week we are switching gears from drafting to revision. We are focusing on our characters and how we can make them seem realistic. We are also practicing putting on different "lenses" when we revise in order to focus in on one aspect of our writing at a time. I can see the kid's writing improving everyday. I am very excited for the finished product!
Reading: This week we continued learning about characters and how their actions, words, and relationships can help us learn more about them. We also learned about how author's create characters that are complex instead of characters that have no flaws or struggles. Because we are focusing on our characters in our writing as well, we are able to apply what we know and extend our thinking even further.
Science: This week we talked about ecosystems and how living and nonliving things are effected by their environment. We also learned about producers, consumers, and decomposers and their roles. We talked about fossils, as well, and what they can tell us about the animal or plant they came from.
Math: This week we began our second chapter which focuses on adding and subtracting multi-digit whole numbers. We learned about the properties of addition and the rules of subtraction. We also talked about patterns and using estimation when adding and subtracting. We are now applying this knowledge to add and subtract multi-digit whole numbers. Our next math test will be on Thursday, September 24.
Reminders:
9/23: Field Trip to Shaw Nature Reserve
9/24: Chapter 2 Math Test
9/25: No School
I hope you have wonderful weekend!
Sincerely,
Miss DiFranco
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Buddies: September 16
Yesterday, our buddies in Mrs. Hickel's class came to visit! We did some fun activities to learn about the differences between being proactive and reactive! 
Friday, September 11, 2015
Weekly Update 9/11
Happy Friday! I hope you had a fantastic week!
Writing: This week in writing we began drafting our realistic fiction pieces. We broke up our stories into scenes using our story arcs and wrote long about each scene. Many kiddos were able to finish their drafts and the others are very close to finishing! We have continued to working on writing stamina this week and we are making progress everyday!
Reading: This week we focused our lessons on growing ideas about our characters. We learned about several ways that we can use what the author tells us in order to make inferences about the characters in our books. We also practiced writing meaningful notes as we read and discussed how we can push our thinking further by looking for evidence in our texts.
Science: We continued our chapter on living things by doing several activities. We created animals and discussed our their environment affects their lives. We also talked about food chains and the importance of having a diverse environment.
Math: We finished up chapter 1 by practicing word problems on Tuesday. We reviewed our chapter on Wednesday and then took our chapter test on Thursday. Each student's math test should be in their black leadership binder which they brought home today. They did wonderfully and I'm so proud of them! Today we reflected on our test and then started talking about the properties of addition.
I hope everyone has a relaxing weekend! I am looking forward to another week of learning!
Reminders:
Early Release on Wed. 9/16
Writing: This week in writing we began drafting our realistic fiction pieces. We broke up our stories into scenes using our story arcs and wrote long about each scene. Many kiddos were able to finish their drafts and the others are very close to finishing! We have continued to working on writing stamina this week and we are making progress everyday!
Reading: This week we focused our lessons on growing ideas about our characters. We learned about several ways that we can use what the author tells us in order to make inferences about the characters in our books. We also practiced writing meaningful notes as we read and discussed how we can push our thinking further by looking for evidence in our texts.
Science: We continued our chapter on living things by doing several activities. We created animals and discussed our their environment affects their lives. We also talked about food chains and the importance of having a diverse environment.
Math: We finished up chapter 1 by practicing word problems on Tuesday. We reviewed our chapter on Wednesday and then took our chapter test on Thursday. Each student's math test should be in their black leadership binder which they brought home today. They did wonderfully and I'm so proud of them! Today we reflected on our test and then started talking about the properties of addition.
I hope everyone has a relaxing weekend! I am looking forward to another week of learning!
Reminders:
Early Release on Wed. 9/16
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Friday, September 4, 2015
Weekly Update 9/4
Happy Friday!! I hope everyone had a wonderful week!
Writing: In writing this week we have worked on several strategies for planning out our realistic fiction stories. We picked a seed idea and then created story arcs to show how the story will. We have been working really hard on our writing stamina and we are close to having 30 minutes of writing during our writing workshop!
Reading: In reading this week we have been focusing on reading characters by their words, actions, and by using the setting. We also practiced retelling by using chronological retelling and synthesizing.
Math: During math workshop this week we started our first chapter on place value. We have been working on ordering and comparing multi-digit numbers, using expanded, standard, and word form, and rounding to the nearest place value. We will continue working on place value during the beginning of next week. There will be information sent in an email about their upcoming math test.
Science: This week in science we have been focused on living organisms. We have talked about classifying plants and animals. We have also begun discussing how plants and animals adapt to their environment and use their surroundings to survive.
Reminder: No School on Monday, Sept. 7
I hope that you have a great three day weekend!
Sincerely,
Miss DiFranco
Writing: In writing this week we have worked on several strategies for planning out our realistic fiction stories. We picked a seed idea and then created story arcs to show how the story will. We have been working really hard on our writing stamina and we are close to having 30 minutes of writing during our writing workshop!
Reading: In reading this week we have been focusing on reading characters by their words, actions, and by using the setting. We also practiced retelling by using chronological retelling and synthesizing.
Math: During math workshop this week we started our first chapter on place value. We have been working on ordering and comparing multi-digit numbers, using expanded, standard, and word form, and rounding to the nearest place value. We will continue working on place value during the beginning of next week. There will be information sent in an email about their upcoming math test.
Science: This week in science we have been focused on living organisms. We have talked about classifying plants and animals. We have also begun discussing how plants and animals adapt to their environment and use their surroundings to survive.
Reminder: No School on Monday, Sept. 7
I hope that you have a great three day weekend!
Sincerely,
Miss DiFranco
Friday, August 28, 2015
Weekly Update 8/28
Happy Friday!! We had a busy week in 4th grade!
Writing: We decorated our writing notebooks and launched our writing workshop! We are going to be focusing on realistic fiction during our first unit. We have begun using strategies to gather realistic fiction story ideas.
Reading: We also began our reading workshop this week. We are focusing on how we can pick books that are just right for us (not too easy or too hard). We talked about how we can read intensely by paying close attention to each detail and by putting ourselves IN the story.
Math: This week we practiced our procedures for our math workshop and it will get underway on Monday! We are excited to jump into our first chapter focused on place value. Please encourage your child to practice their multiplication facts nightly!
**Each Friday students will be sent home with their Leadership Binder. This binder contains goals we are working on, our mission statements, and our weekly snapshot. The weekly snapshot gives students the opportunity to reflect on their behavior and academics throughout that week. Please look over the sheet with your child during the weekend and send the binder back to school on Mondays!**
Reminders:
9/3: Curriculum Night at 7 pm
Have a wonderful weekend!!!
Sincerely,
Miss DiFranco
Writing: We decorated our writing notebooks and launched our writing workshop! We are going to be focusing on realistic fiction during our first unit. We have begun using strategies to gather realistic fiction story ideas.
Reading: We also began our reading workshop this week. We are focusing on how we can pick books that are just right for us (not too easy or too hard). We talked about how we can read intensely by paying close attention to each detail and by putting ourselves IN the story.
Math: This week we practiced our procedures for our math workshop and it will get underway on Monday! We are excited to jump into our first chapter focused on place value. Please encourage your child to practice their multiplication facts nightly!
**Each Friday students will be sent home with their Leadership Binder. This binder contains goals we are working on, our mission statements, and our weekly snapshot. The weekly snapshot gives students the opportunity to reflect on their behavior and academics throughout that week. Please look over the sheet with your child during the weekend and send the binder back to school on Mondays!**
Reminders:
9/3: Curriculum Night at 7 pm
Have a wonderful weekend!!!
Sincerely,
Miss DiFranco
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Buddies!
This morning we got to meet our 1st grade buddies! We had so much fun interviewing them and reading books together. We can't wait to get together with them again soon :)
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
August 25
Today we worked hard to organize our library so that it is easy for the kids to use! Reading is so important so we need to make sure that our library is organized the way the kids like it so that they will use it often. They did a great job working in groups. Organizing our library also gave the kids a chance to preview some of the books in our library, some even chose to read a book that they found while organizing!!
Friday, August 21, 2015
Miss DiFranco's 4th Grade Class: Weekly Update 8/21
Miss DiFranco's 4th Grade Class: Weekly Update
What a great first "week" of 4th grade!! We learned even more about our classroom by doing a scavenger hunt around the room. We also learned about how each of us is different and learns in our own way. This afternoon we had our back to school assembly. We had a lot of fun! Have a wonderful weekend!
What a great first "week" of 4th grade!! We learned even more about our classroom by doing a scavenger hunt around the room. We also learned about how each of us is different and learns in our own way. This afternoon we had our back to school assembly. We had a lot of fun! Have a wonderful weekend!
Thursday, August 20, 2015
First Day!
WOW!! What an awesome first day! Here are some pictures of our class from our first day of fourth grade! We did some fun activities to get to know each other and played games. We learned about the routines of our classroom and took a tour of the building to refresh our memories. I am looking forward to a fun-filled year!
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Our Class!
I am so excited to welcome our 2015-2016 4th Grade Class!!
I am looking forward to having a wonderful year!
Hailey B.
Noah B.
Thomas D.
Alex G.
Colton H.
Emily H.
Rachel H.
Carson K.
Chris M.
Madeline M.
Josh M.
Denny N.
Anthony P.
Dylan R.
Kaylee R.
Kiersten R.
Owen S.
Aden S.
Aidin S.
Quinn S.
Sabina T.
Chloe W.
Grace W.
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
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