The spelling test planned for tomorrow has been moved to Wednesday. There are a number of very difficult words. I had planned to do several classroom activities, but other activities took longer than I expected. We will do the spelling review tomorrow, Monday, and Tuesday with the test on Wednesday.
Don’t forget that your child can always practice the words at spellingcity.com!
Dr. Seuss’ birthday is Saturday!
What better way to celebrate the great man’s 109th birthday than wear pajamas to school on Friday?
Your child may also wear slippers in the classroom but should have sneakers for the gym. A favorite book should accompany your child to school as we will be sharing books throughout the day.
The only question now…what will Mrs. Dittman be wearing? Oh, the suspense!
I hope everyone enjoyed their winter break. I spent a great deal of mine resting and reading, recovering from whatever nasty bug had decided to make a winter home with me. I managed to read two novels (a luxury during the school year) and planned many lessons for your children.
Our first week back was busy. We welcomed Miss Holly Atkins, a junior from Cortland who will be spending three weeks with us while completing a field experience. Miss Atkins has jumped right in, quickly learning the names of the children and assisting with lessons.
We finished the last of the science presentations. The posters showed a great deal of thought and creativity. Be sure to take a look at them when you are in the building. Your children keep getting better at presenting with each project we complete. It is a pleasure to see them show their work and answer questions about it.
We finished the story from our reader, Finding the Titanic and will be starting a new novel this week called Stone Fox. It is shorter than Because of Winn-Dixie, so we will complete it in about two weeks. We will then move on to the Lou Gehrig story in our reader. I am sure you have already noticed, but I am working to incorporate both fiction and non-fiction equally in ELA. We are also working each day in Simple Solutions. Your children tell me they think grammar is fun (imagine that!) and that they are good at it (and they are!). I really like this program and hope that you are also seeing the results of constant review of the topics.
We are continuing to study division. It has proven to be more of a struggle than I anticipated. We are going to move to some geometry and then fractions, but there will be continual practice provided in both multiplication and division. Please practice these skills with your children in daily life whenever possible. Seeing that they are skills they will use in the real world does make an impact.
In science, we are discussing force, friction, gravity, inertia, and a myriad of related topics. This will soon lead us to simple machines and our next big project.
I am thoroughly enjoying teaching Social Studies. The third graders are working with the topic of community and celebrations. Fourth graders are continuing their exploration of life in early New York state. (We all decided we are glad we live here now as we are happier with grocery stores, convenient heat, and indoor bathrooms!)
As we continue our journey through the season of Lent, we will be discussing how best to prepare ourselves for Easter. The children have made their own crosses as a reminder to bear their burdens gladly. We have talked about making sacrifices and praying for strength and courage. This coming week we will learn about the history of the pretzel and its ties to Lent as well as an almsgiving project.
As a final bit of news, we are welcoming a new fourth grade boy to our class on Monday. He came to us for a visit before break and is excited to be a part of our classroom family. The following Monday, we will be welcoming a fourth grade girl. She is a returning student who came to kindergarten at ICS. We are very happy about her return!
Spring is just around the corner (if I just keep saying it…)
Enjoy your week!
The presentations your children did were fabulous! I was so incredibly proud of them. We talked about the characteristics of a good speaker and of a good listener. They spoke clearly and with the appropriate volume, made eye contact, discussed the person they chose, and fielded questions. Their posters were lovely and the dioramas were amazing! Kudos! They also demonstrated excellent listening skills as audience members and strove to make their classmates feel comfortable.
The basketball game to day was so much fun! The students who played, played with gusto. Those who were cheerleaders really rallied the crowd. The remaining student in the audience supported her friends beautifully. I can hardly wait for the scavenger hunt (and snack!) tomorrow.
Time certainly does fly when you are having fun.
Well, mid-terms weren’t exactly fun, but everyone survived.
Now the fun begins!
This week we celebrate Catholic Schools Week. Be sure to check out the schedule of events listed on my school webpage. Go to Immaculate Conception School. Look under K-6 and you will find a listing for Grades 3 and 4. Click on it and you will be taken to the homepage for our class. I have also added a page with the times of our specials. Soon I will be adding a page with helpful websites your children may use to practice reading and math skills or find information for research papers. (We have another of those on the horizon!)
January may be ending but the excitement is just starting…
In February, we will be reading about the Titanic in ELA. Students will also complete reports about weather systems. I have several new spelling review games that I hope will add some creativity to our usual reviews. We will start simple machines in science and have projects about them in March. I will also begin teaching social studies to third and fourth grade right after Catholic Schools Week. We are going to be a very busy group!
It is hard to believe that we are in the second week of Advent already.
The children have made beautiful Advent chains which will come home for Christmas and will make a lovely reminder of the reason we celebrate this season.
There are a number of events and activities that are coming up:
Christmas Concert/Pageant- Tuesday, December 11
Students should arrive at school in “dress-up” clothes and report to our classroom by 6:30PM. Please take their coats with you to the gym as your children will be dismissed to you immediately after the concert and will not be returning to the classroom.
Scholastic Book Orders- Tuesday, December 11
Orders must be sent to school or completed online by today so that we can receive them in time for Christmas. If you would like me to keep the order a secret, please just let me know.
Shhhhhhh: see the December 3rd blog for a note on an order I placed for the class.
Christmas Shoe Boxes- Monday, December 17
All families are invited to decorate and fill a shoe box for Christmas. Details were sent home in the family envelope. All boxes should be wrapped and labeled and returned to school by Monday, December 17th (although you may send them to school any time before then as well). If you cannot fill an entire box, please feel free to send in any items you have and they will be added to other donations to make additional boxes.
Santa Shop- Monday (12/17) - Thursday (12/20)
I will be signing the children up for two visits to the Santa Shop during the above times. Students will have an opportunity to browse and then buy. Please see the family envelope for a shopping list and additional information.
In school this week, we will be writing letters to a class in New York City whose school was severely damaged during Super Storm Sandy. We will also be making cards for those who are homebound, visitors to the food pantry, and our pre-school buddies.
In ELA, we will finish Marven of the Great North Woods. Students will write a persuasive paper explaining why they think Marven’s parents should or should not have sent him away during the epidemic. They will also take a test on the story on Friday. There is no spelling test this week. We will apply our spelling and handwriting skills to our letters, essays, and cards.
In Science, students will wrap up the lessons they have been working on and prepare for a quiz on Monday. We will also be making thermometers (a tie-in with Marven’s story) next Wednesday. If you are able to send in a clean, clear 11-ounce plastic bottle (or two)before then, I would be very thankful!
In Math, please continue to practice addition facts and multiplication facts with your children. Mastering these will ensure an easier transition to more difficult math.
Thank you so much for all your support this year. I will be out of school on Monday (12/17) for a workshop in Rochester on managing different skill levels in math during one class period. I am very excited to see what is suggested and to apply it in our classroom. Look for some changes in the new year!
Scholastic book orders went home today. Please be sure to send yours to school or complete your online order by December 10th in order to receive the books for Christmas. If you would like an order to be a surprise, just drop me a note. I will be glad to keep the secret.
Also, there is a book called THE BEST CHRISTMAS EVER on your order forms. Please do not order this book for your child. I have ordered one for each of them as my Christmas gift (it is a wonderful story!).
Enjoy this warm weather. I hear another cold snap is on the way!
