Diving into December!

Donations Needed!

Our class  is going to be making miniature gingerbread houses. We are asking for the following items: small cinnamon candies, sprinkles of all colors, Christmas hard candies, skittles, m&ms, red and black licorice, miniature candy canes, miniature marshmallows, necco wafers, gumdrops, gummy lifesavers, large lifesavers, cans of vanilla frosting, and graham crackers. All donations need to be sent in by Friday, December 16th. We will be making these houses in our classroom on December 21st at 10:00. Anyone who is available to help is greatly appreciated. Please let me know if you are able to come in. It will be a morning full of fun!  

The division we are currently working on is tricky!  We are using 2 methods that you may be unfamiliar with.  Here are some videos to help guide you in case your student needs help at home.

Division Methods (Links to help you understand):
Place Value Sections: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLbbjAuamA4
Expanded Notation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PoArz2KP_U

Reminders:

Moon Project:  Students should be observing the moon and coloring their observations into their agendas each night.  At school we are checking our observations and labeling the phases of the moon.

Holiday Program Info: 
Tuesday, December 13th

Fellowship Reformed Church

6:30pm - K, 1st & 2nd

7:30pm - 3rd, 4th, 5th

** Students can come down to our the room at 7:15. Please do not send them down any earlier as there will not be supervision in the rooms until then. Students are to use the bathroom before they come to the room. Please also know that your student must be picked up by an adult after the program.

Gingerbread House Time:  Will take place on Wednesday, December 21st at 10:00am.  Volunteers are welcome!

Classroom Holiday Party: Will be immediately following gingerbread house time around 10:45 - 11:40.  If you volunteered to bring an item, I will send you a reminder as we get closer.

Here is what we learned in 4th grade this past week:

Writing: 
I can read essays and tell the big idea.
I can notice how mini-stories provide evidence of the big idea in essays.

I can write mini-stories.

I can generate big ideas.

I can turn big ideas into opinion statements.  

Social Studies:  

I can think about core democratic values and write about them:

• Patriotism
• Justice

I can review and recall core democratic values.

Math: 

I can use the place value sections method to solve multidigit division problems.

I can use the expanded notation method to solve multidigit division problems.

I can use the digit by digit method to solve multidigit division problems.

I can solve division word problems using different methods.

Reading:

I can review and notice non-fiction text features.

I can tap prior knowledge as I preview non-fiction texts.
I can preview and predict non-fiction texts.
I can paraphrase information by putting it into my own words.

Important Dates:

December 7: Parent Club Elf Factory
December 13th: Holiday Program at 7:30pm
December 21st: Gingerbread house making and Classroom Holiday Party in the a.m.
December 22-January 2 Holiday Break