It's been a busy week in Room 17! Here are some of the highlights:
* We are continuing to read "Island of the Blue Dolphins" as a class novel - students are writing summaries of the chapters and we are talking about the customs and rituals of the Native Americans who lived on the island!
* We have started practicing in three groups for "Readers' Theatre" - students will practice their lines for two weeks, and then give their "presentations" (with scripts) to third grade classrooms.
* We are concluding our science unit on "The Solid Earth" - this week we focused on erosion and weathering, and next week we will finish up with some great experiments!
* Halloween is coming! As usual, Dilworth will have a Halloween parade at 1 PM next Friday, Oct. 29 (weather permitting) - parents are invited in attend and take pictures. After the parade, we will have a party in Room 17 - I will place a "sign-up" list outside my classroom doors so that you can donate something for the party. We are placing a greater emphasis this year on "healthy treats" rather than candy - just a reminder that we ask that only "nut-free" items be donated.
* Students have been working hard in math, but we have been discussing some important ideas/concepts about "pre-tests". Most students see it as a "status sign" that they pass a pre-test and are able to work on an individual contract. Please remember that a pre-test is NOT graded, and it's only purpose is for me to see what students have not yet learned or mastered in the upcoming unit. I have seen a number of students become extremely "stressed out" about getting 90% correct on a pre-test. If I see this trend continuing, I will discontinue giving pre-tests and have every student participate in every lesson.
* And speaking of math.....I am embarrassed to tell you that the Unit 2 test (from our math curriculum) had a number of questions that were very vague (even for me!)and very inappropriate for 4th grade level students. Although the students were very disappointed, I did not give them back these tests because I felt that the test was not a good "indicator" of what they learned in this unit. I will instead give them some quizzes from each of the chapters covered which will be sent home in the next 2 weeks. Also, please make sure your child has mastered all multiplication/division facts through the "10's" - we are moving along rather quickly, and more complex multiplication problems are covered in Unit 3.
Have a good weekend - and remember that there is no school on Monday, Oct. 25!
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