Ms. Hahn’s Newsletter
December 4, 2016
Reading
This week I spend time reading to the class a book about buffalo hunts. The class learned the importance of the buffalo to the Plains Indians. I will continue reading this book next week. We will also learn more about how to identify main idea and details from nonfiction books.
This past week the students all read a variety of nonfiction passages and books. The children need to know how to identify the main idea and find details that support the main idea. The groups are working on reading the passages more than one time to better understand the passage and look for information. Next week the students will continue reading nonfiction books in small groups.
I encourage every student to use Raz kids at home. It provides an opportunity to read a variety of books and answer comprehension questions about the books.
Math
The focus this week was on division. Students solved a variety of division problems. All students used cubes to show the problem. Some problems involved making piles of cubes and other the students had to pass out or share the cubes. The third type of problem involved making arrays to find the answer. Next week the students will continue learning about multiplication and division. They will be learning about distributive, commutative, and associative property of division. They will also learn about the identity property of multiplication and multiplication of zero.
Please remember to have your child play math games at home at least two times a week. Please indicate your child played the math games above the spelling list under reminders. I would encourage your child to practice skip counting at home by all numbers 2-12. Try counting backwards also. This will help him/her memorize their multiplication facts.
Social Studies and Environmental Education
This week the students learned more about Plains Indians. The students learned about the importance of the buffalo to the tribes. They also learned about the tipis, winter counts, and the Three Sister’s Garden. In the spring the third and fourth graders will be planting a three sisters garden.
Next week we will be taking a break from our study of Native Americans and learn about inherited traits of plants and animals. The students will be learning how animals have adapted to live in different environments.
Thursday the class went to quiet spots. The big news was the discovery of rabbit and coyote scat. It was interesting to see through the trees now that all the leaves have fallen. The class also noticed the Osage Orange balls had all fallen to the ground. We will have phenology on Thursday.
Writing
The students are now writing an information piece of writing. The students were allowed to choose a topic of their choice. So some students might try to tell you he/she needs to play a game for homework because it is for writing. The students are working on organizing their information by planning a table of contents. Next week we will continue working on this piece of writing.
Parent Teacher Conferences
Thank you for coming to parent teacher conferences. Please feel free to contact myself and Mrs. Steinbeck if you have other questions.
Other Information
- Please remind your child to bring a water bottle to school daily.
- Your child may need to have extra clothes at school that is appropriate for cold weather.
- Please help your child choose weather appropriate clothes and jackets now that the weather has changed.
- If there is snow, students need snow pants and snow boots.
- Students must be fever free for 24 hours to come back to school after an illness.
Upcoming Dates
December 6- Green Assembly
December 7- Early Release
December 8 – Holiday Bazaar
I suggest bringing gift bags for the gifts your child is purchasing. Also, bring another bag to carry home the presents.
December 16- Winter Sing 8:30
December 20- 2:15 Winter Party
5:30 Owl Prowl
A Note from the Office
Our Veterans are taking the lead this year and heading up the Toys for Tots Drive. Toys for Tots benefits a number of local agencies and townships, providing needy children with a little extra holiday cheer. We will have a Toys for Tots Collection Box in the Office Waiting Room beginning Monday. Please consider donating a new toy, game or book for our local children in need. No donation is too small! Thank you for your generosity!
Please take a few minutes and share your opinions about PCCS through the 5Essentials Survey. This survey is available for parents to take now through January 16, 2017. We will need 20% of our parents to complete the survey in order for survey results to be shared. We would love to have 100% parent input! Please share your thoughts!