Hi Families!
Quick notes to know:
- 11/15 6:30-7:30 Literacy Night- PCCS Virtual Literacy Night will be held over Zoom. Packets went home on Friday for those who signed up.
- 11/19 Virtual Assembly & Holiday Bazaar & Report Cards available
- 11/22 & 11/23 Early release, P-T conferences (student attended) Sign up Genuis
- 11/24-11/26 Thanksgiving Break
- 12/7 Tuesdays, 3:45 -5:30 p.m. (one time club) Winter Craft Club
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Thank you to everyone who has signed up for a parent-teacher conference. I am looking forward to meeting with you! Please note that it is virtual this year. Students should attend (and can sit next to the parent) as you zoom in. Here is the zoom information: Larson zoom classroom: id 884 6818 0641 Password: Larson18 ZOOM LINK Unfortunately, during zoom conferences it is difficult for me to respond to emails, so it is a good idea to bookmark this login in advance. Thank you!
- We are still having difficulty keeping our classroom clean. There is a ton of mud coming in everyday regardless of how much we sweep. Students are to have a pair of indoor only classroom shoes or slippers left here for this very reason (this was on the supply list). This pair should be separate from their outdoor daily shoes and their PE shoes. Many students are telling us they do not have a pair of indoor shoes. If you can please check in with your student and have your child bring a pair of indoor shoes (that are dedicated to only inside the classroom) if they do not currently have one, it would be greatly appreciated! Thank you so much!
- If the weather is inclement, we will be having indoor lunch and snack. During indoor snack we are viewing safety videos for technology use. These videos are created for children by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and are aimed at teaching children basic internet safety and etiquette.
NEXT WEEK:
Reading and Writing,
This week we have our normal spelling groups. Students should follow the normal homework schedule. Next week, there will be no spelling.
In writing we are working on an essay about being thankful. Students have brainstormed ideas of things they are grateful for and details and examples on each. We are now using our ideas to fill out an essay organizer that will become our rough draft. Following this, students will edit their work and write their final draft on Thanksgiving themed paper. We should be wrapping up this essay by next week.
We are continuing our chapter book studies. The fourth graders are reading, “Underworlds, The Battle Begins.” Students will read these independently, as well as, with the teacher and in a group at times. Students are working toward finishing the chapter book and comprehension questions at the end of this week or next. Then, we will begin working on a final project that is a slideshow illustrating all the story elements.
In the next two weeks, we will also learn about pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving. There will be listening centers and students will complete writing prompts with pilgrim and Thanksgiving themes. An example of one of our themed writing prompts, is following an informational virtual “field trip” to Plimoth Plantation, students will use what they learned to write about what it was like to be a pilgrim child.
3rd grade Math,
We are starting Unit 3 which reviews and extends students’ thinking about place value, multi-digit addition and subtraction, and problem solving. In the first module, students are introduced to the idea of rounding 2- and 3-digit numbers to the nearest ten and the nearest hundred. This skill is extended into the realm of computation, as students use rounding as a way to estimate and check the results of adding and subtracting multi-digit numbers. Along with reviewing and deepening their understandings of strategies learned in second grade, students are introduced to the standard algorithms for adding and subtracting multi-digit numbers toward the end of the unit.
Module 1 focuses on rounding, estimation, and multi-digit addition. After taking the unit pre-assessment in Session 1, students are introduced
to the concept of rounding 2- and 3-digit numbers to the nearest ten or the nearest hundred. Two new Work Places, Round Ball Tens and Round Ball Hundreds, provide opportunities to practice the skill. A third new Work Place, Round & Add Tens, helps students begin to understand how rounding can help them approximate solutions to problems as well as determine the reasonableness of their answers.
We are also continuing the November Number Corner as well. In November, our number corner will focus on multiplication and area. We are also having a November fraction race. So far, ⅛ is winning the race, even though it is the smallest fraction in the race!
4th grade math, We will be moving into Module 2 of Unit 3. In this module, the geoboard is assigned a value of 1. Students name fractional parts of the geoboard and describe the parts’ relationships to one another. Their observations are then extended into comparing fractions with unlike numerators and denominators, and adding fractions with like denominators. The last three sessions feature an extended problem-solving opportunity followed by a math forum, as well as two new Work Places that provide practice with composing and decomposing fractions.
Science/Social Studies,
Students are finishing their Economics social studies unit with our applesauce sales and advertising. We have been processing orders and continuing to advertise.
Students will also start a science unit on light. Students will learn about how the colors of light are perceived. They will also complete science experiments to understand how light travels. Students will also learn about the parts of an eye and a basic understanding of how they see. We will complete a project on creating a light maze with a small group. If anyone has any spare flashlights at home they could lend to our unit, we would be appreciative.
We are continuing phenology and solo spots, alternating each week. Please make sure your student is prepared to be outside on a regular basis with warm outdoor clothing.
I hope you have a wonderful week and a relaxing Thanksgiving!
