As we embark upon the last week of September, we will be very busy in Room 17! First, here are some highlights from last week:
* Students took math tests on Friday (Unit 2 test for 5th graders, Ch. 4 test for 4th graders) We will now start a unit on algebraic expressions and equations.
* Students read selections from our reading textbook, engaged in comprehension activities, and took a comprehension quiz.
* In science, 4th graders continued their study of environments by investigating isopod behavior, and took a quiz on the first section of our unit. 5th graders continue their study of the human body, focusing on digestive systems.
* In social studies, both 4th and 5th grade classes are studying geographic regions and map skills - 4th graders are working on a map project where they design their own island and include all the features found on a map. Unit 1 test for fourth graders will be on Thursday, 9/29.

WALKAROUND IS ALMOST HERE! You can feel the excitement building in Room 17 as students prepare to walk many laps next Saturday, October 1! Just a reminder - WalkAround goes from 1 PM - 6PM this year in order to accommodate families who have weekend classes on Saturday morning or sports activities. Our goal is to have EVERY student attend and reach our contribution goal of $225 per family! Remember - the money will go toward replacing outdated computers in our student technology lab! See you there!

Field Trips - I wanted to clarify how field trips are arranged - we take field trips by grade level. Typically, 5th graders will go with the 5th grade classes on their field trips while I stay with the 4th graders at school. Also, 4th graders will be split into 2 groups of 9 each and will attend 4th grade field trips with Mrs. Horner's and Mrs. Fosco's classes. This arrangement will allow me to stay at school with the other grade level group, unless I request a substitute teacher for that day.

Update for Week of Sept. 6

We had a great time in Room 17 last week! Thank you to all the parents who attended my presentation during "Back to School Night" - it was great to see all your friendly faces! I hope that I was able to provide you with a better understanding about the mechanics of a combination class and all the wonderful things we have planned for this year!

During our short week coming up, we will begin writing personal narratives and go through the various processes of pre-writing, editing, and revising before publishing our final drafts. This process will take about three weeks. We are also finishing up Unit 1 in math for both 4th and 5 graders - the Unit 1 test will be later this week. Students will also start bringing home their reading response logs which they should record their responses in from their nightly reading at home. Specific directions on how to complete these responses is pasted into the front of the response logs. Logs are due every 2 weeks for review by me, and I also check for proper grammar and sentence usage in the response logs. Response to literature is an important genre for both 4th and 5th grade standards, so this activity will give them much practice in this area!

I will be getting back to all parents who kindly offered to volunteer in our class during the upcoming week - I appreciate your willingness to help out the class! Have a wonderful week!