Ms. Hahn’s Newsletter
December 13, 2015
Math
This week the students learned more about the angles of triangles and quadrilaterals. The students learned how to find a missing angle from a triangle or quadrilateral. We have finished our geometry unit. The students will have another geometry unit later in the school year. We will take time this coming week to learn about long division and how to use multiplication to check your division. After winter break we will begin our fraction unit.
Reading
Students continued to read their novels this week. They are reading The Enormous Egg, Dolphin Adventures, Who Killed Cock Robin, and There’s an Owl in the Shower. The students worked on asking questions about their books and determining the important events in the book. Next week the students will finish their books.
During whole group reading lessons the students continued to learn about plot. I read Freedom School. Together we completed a story plot map for this book. The students did a great job picking out the main events and the main idea of the book.
Writing
Students used a story plot map to plan a story of their choice. The students had very creative ideas for their stories. I helped the students add enough details about their characters and setting to help the reading visualize the story. Next week the students will finish editing and revising these stories.
Science
During science we continued learning about sound. The students tested sound of jars with and without water. You can pictures Mrs. Steinbeck posted of the students listening to sound travel along a string. We will finish up our sound unit this week. After break we will begin our social studies unit on Colonial America.
Environment
On Wednesday we experimented with echoing of sounds on different nature items and man made items outside. They really enjoyed listening to the echo on the underpass to Oak Openings. Since we were by Oak Openings, the students had a chance to enjoy the nice weather and have quiet spots near Oak Openings. One student even saw a snake while he was writing.
Friday we had time to clean out the garden beds a little more. The students got out some of the corn stalks. The students really worked together with the tools they had to get out as much of the roots as possible. Some children used their fun Friday time to help with garden beds again.
Green Challenge
This month our green challenge focus is about compost. Last week our class got together with our book buddy class to learn more about compost. Mrs. Berger read Compost Stew. Then the students worked together to draw their own compost stew. The fourth graders helped the kindergartners brainstorm things that can be composted. The following are some items that we can compost at PCCS.
- bread products including pizza crust/pasta (remove sauce/toppings, but it is OK is there is residue in there!)
- all fruit/veggie scraps
- egg shells
- nut shells
- coffee grounds/filters and tea bags (staples removed)
- sawdust/wood shavings (even with hamster, gerbil, rabbit, etc. waste)
- pencil shavings
- hay/straw
- yard waste/dead plant material that has been cut into pieces 6 inches or less (healthy, no weed seeds, and in reasonable amounts)
Other
I will be sending home almost all items from the lockers during winter break. Some students have accumulated too many extra clothes in their lockers. Please help your child to remember to bring back extra clothes and other needed items.
Upcoming Dates
December 14- 2:45 Staff Student Basketball Game
December 16- Early Release
December 17- 9 am, Holiday Sing
December 18- 2:15 Classroom Holiday Party
December 21 to January 1 – Winter Break