Hello Families,

It has been a while since I have blogged. I was out sick 3 days last week, so I feel a bit out of touch! Here is a brief rundown of what we are doing in 4th grade:

In Reading, we have transitioned to nonfiction texts. Most of the class truly prefers fiction, but they are working on trying to love nonfiction as well. They have learned about what structures authors use, how to commit to a book or topic, how to figure out the meanings of unknown words, and how to recognize a "hybrid" text.  After break, we will learn about summarizing and looking for main idea.

We are also writing nonfiction ("expert books") texts. This class really loves to write! They have all created a table of contents and chapter headings, and they are working hard to organize their writing into sections based on their headings. They are putting in expert words, pictures and captions, and a mix of facts and ideas. I am enjoying reading their writing!

In math, we have shifted from multiplication/division to adding and subtracting with large numbers. So far, the class has reviewed place value and learned how to add using the standard algorithm that all of us learned ("carrying" the one, which is actually called regrouping.) Many of them are so relieved to have learned this -- it is far more efficient than the strategies they are used to! We purposely wait until grade 4 to teach this so that we are certain that kids are solid in their understanding of place value. After break, we will learn how to subtract using the algorithm as well. This is far trickier, especially when "borrowing" across a zero! We will take our time and get lots of practice. 

In science, we spent this week learning all about the human eye. The students all made a model eye using a ping pong ball (the hot glue makes them look like they have cataracts...) and they all know how to identify and label the main parts of the eye.

Today was another Camp Swampy day! We decided not to try to get to the pine forest because we know there are a lot of ticks in the woods, and the trail is very tight and overgrown. We will try that in the winter on show shoes! You never know what you will find in the woods, and today we found a deer stand (on the ground) with a few cans of beer on it. Unfortunately, one of the cans exploded and we had a small beer fountain. If your child comes home smelling of a brewery, this is why! It gave us a perfect opportunity to talk about how humans effect the woods. After that bit of excitement, we went to our usual spot and the class spent the last hour simply playing and building their forts. I so enjoyed watching them have the chance to play in such a carefree environment!

Here are some new words for this week:  fatigue and defiant. I know we all feel some fatigue and are ready for a break. I hope none of you experience any defiance from your children!

I am thankful every day for this lovely class and all of their unique personalities. I am also thankful for all of your support. I hope that you all enjoy a lovely Thanksgiving with loved ones, and I look forward to seeing the students in a week.

 This was a "finishing-up" week! We worked so hard to get things done, and we did it! We finished our writing unit and had a fun tropical celebration. The writing is hanging on our bulletin board and the class is proud of their work. We finished up our narrative reading unit, and the students all made so much progress in the kinds of thoughts they jotted down in their Reader's Notebooks. Finally, we finished up our multiplication and division unit. The final assessment made me happy -- there are still a few tangled ideas about multiplying and dividing, but we have made HUGE progress since September.

Next week, we will begin reading and writing nonfiction units. Your children will all be writing "expert books" so this might be a good weekend to help them come up with some ideas.  We will be reading books about the weather, at least for a few weeks. Then they will get to choose other nonfiction books that are appealing to them.

We will also start our next math unit, Adding and Subtracting with Large Numbers. Although it starts out with some review, this unit teaches them all a lot of flexible strategies for adding and subtracting, really cements their understanding of place value, and teaches them how to add a subtract with what we used to call "borrowing and carrying" (which is really just regrouping.) They always love this unit and have a huge AHA moment when they begin to understand this!

Our new vocabulary words this week were elated and fragrant. Use those around your dinner table!

Ask your kids about:

• Empathy
• Day of the Dead
• Was Funny Once
• Algebra!

That is all for this week -- short and sweet, for a change!  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. It looks like it is going to be abundantly sunny!

What a beautiful day for a visit to Camp Swampy! We lucked out. We started out by sitting and reflecting individually about what has changed in the forest since the last time we were there. After sharing our ideas, we learned some good strategies for identifying trees. We discussed the barkm the shape, and of course the leaves. Then each "den" went out to their adopted tree to see what they could come up with. Finally, they got a chance to build on to their forts and just have some fun in the woods. We will go again in 2 weeks, and we can't wait! 

We ended our day with candy maps -- another fun activity! The students made their map bases out of Rice Krispies Treats, then put Snow Caps, Laffy Taffy, and Blue Laces on the show the rivers, the lake, and the mountains. They may have eaten a Snow Cap or 2, but the map is coming home to be eaten at your discretion! I am impressed with how much they have learned about Vermont's geography!

We have finished our narrative writing unit, and we will have a small celebration on Monday before moving on to our next unit, informational writing. In the narrative unit, students learned how to add setting, dialogue, a problem, a plot, and lots of action to their stories. They did a wonderful  job!

We are almost finished with our multiplication and division unit (more in the spring.) Students are working hard to understand how to multiply by 10 and how to use that simple strategy to multiply and divide larger numbers. They still aren't completely used to this and it isn't their go-to strategy yet. But we are getting there!

We have started a "Shades of Meaning" wall with vocabulary words from our read-aloud (Gregor the Overlander.) It is really helpful if you can use the words at home, around the dinner table, in the car, etc. The more the words are heard in context, the more likely the kids are to learn them. This week's words are hostile and arrogant. Enjoy putting those to use!

Here are some things to ask your kids about this weekend:

What's the 10th multiple? (of ANY number)

Who are Gregor and Boots?

Who is Glassman?

What is meant by foreshadowing?

What happened to the tiger?

What is a conifer and a deciduous tree?

That's all for this week. Enjoy the weekend, and Happy Halloween to all who celebrate!

 Hi Families,

It has been a super busy week in the classroom! Since I  just met with most of you to discuss your children, I will keep this brief. We  are still working on all of the same units, so I have nothing terribly new to say!

In math, we are working hard on learning how to multiply larger numbers by 10. Kids have learned to "just add a zero," but I don't accept that because adding a zero to a number doesn't change it! I have taught them that we are simply moving the tens place to the hundreds place, the ones place to the tens place, and then putting a zero in the ones place! This still confuses them, and it would be easy to fall back on the "add a zero" trick, but I think it is more important to have the conceptual understanding of how our number system works. Ask you child what 24 X 10 is. Or 31 X 10. Or any large number by 10. This would be a fun way to entertain yourselves on a car ride, and good practice for them as well!

We are continuing to finish up our reading and writing units. Today the students looked at the 4th grade writing report card so they could see what the expectations are. I gave them each a checklist so they could do some reflecting on their own writing and decide what still needs to be done. Their stories are cute and really coming to life. I can't wait to celebrate their writing the week after next!

During conferences, a few of you mentioned that you are having a hard time getting your kids to read. This week, I am sending home (in the Friday folder) an official HOMEWORK sheet that tells you and your child what needs to be done. The reading log (an expectation) is on the back. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about this small change. If your child reads regularly and  you really believe she or he doesn't need the log for accountability, just let me know.

School photos are coming home today. They are beautiful! Please be sure to take them out of your child's backpack before they get ruined.

Many of you also said your child doesn't tell  you a lot about what happens here at school. Here are a few things you can ask them about:

• Why do maps need a compass rose?
• Should Sistine and Rob let the tiger go?
• What is a multiple?
• What part of your story are you writing? What is your character's main problem

Finally, if you haven't already seen this link to give permission for new Camp Swampy dates, please don't forget to do that soon.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend and enjoy spending time together!

 Happy Thursday! Since we have no school tomorrow, I will give you a brief update today!

I have really enjoyed "meeting" you in parent conferences this week, and I look forward to talking to more of you next week. It is always pleasurable to discuss your children and hear your thoughts about how school is going for them.

In math this week, we started learning about division with remainders. I am impressed with how quickly this class was able to grasp division conceptually! They seem to fully understand that dividing a large number by a smaller number means doling it out into equal groups. That conceptual understanding is half the battle. It gets tricky when you can't dole it out without having a leftover. We have learned that we can show this remainder as "r___" but that we also have to think about the story context and answer the question. For example, if the story asks us how we can divide 25 balloons among 6 people, we can say each person gets 4 balloons and the last balloon gets popped. If the story asks how 6 people can share 25 brownies, we can say each person gets 4 whole brownies and then another quarter of a brownie. This can be confusing, but these children are beginning to get it!

Our stories are coming along nicely, and we are working hard on adding dialog, adding setting and action, and making sure we stretch out our stories so that they have details and suspense and a plot.  It is developmentally appropriate for 4th graders to write a quick story and think they are "done!" We are working to really develop the habits of mind necessary to stick with something and continuously make it better.

In reading, we continue to push ourselves to develop ideas about the characters and the themes of the books we are reading. This is not an immediate thing, so we are taking baby steps. The class is very good noticing at talking about these in our class read-aloud, but it is harder when they are reading on their own.

During Word Study (Phonics) this week, we began looking at the various letter combinations that make the short o sound. Our language is so confusing! Here are some examples: thought and brought, talk and chalk, faucet and launch, ball and tall, etc. No wonder we have a hard time spelling! Next week we will look at all of the sounds made by ea (such as team and great) and ei (such as weird and sleigh.) I will try my best to keep you updated on our phonics work weekly so you can support at home.

We have started learning about Vermont's geography, and everyone seems excited to be making maps, a compass rose, a key, etc. So far we have made a waterways map and a map of our mountain ranges, along with a map that shows all of those as well as our neighboring states (and country) and Montpelier. They are becoming experts! If you are out driving anywhere, notice and label what is around you -- such as the Winooski River, Camel's Hump, etc. 

Be sure to check backpacks today! I sent home a lot of completed work as well as an Original Works fundraiser envelope.

That's about it for this week. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. As always, be in touch when you need anything.

 Hello families,

I apologize for not being in touch last week -- I hope that  my Instagram photos gave you a sense of what we did at Camp Swampy. It was a lovely few hours, and the students all had a lot of fun. They worked together to clear an area for our meeting circle, and they moved a lot of logs that Mr. Bouchard had cut. It was amazing to see it all come together in just a few minutes! We talked a lot about the history of the place and about what sorts of plants and animals live there now. They all wrote in their journals about how we impact the forest by being in it. Finally, they got together in their "dens" and made forts. Each den also "adopted" and flagged a tree. Next time, we will identify the trees and take some measurements and other observations so we can keep track of how they change over the course of the year. I wish we could go weekly rather than monthly!

We now have the Tower Garden in our classroom. We are growing kale. The students all learned about how plants can be grown hydroponically. This week, we used water test kits to test and then adjust the pH of the water in the Tower Garden. We will be learning about the importance of pH throughout the year.

We started learning about the geography of Vermont this week. We will learn about the mountain ranges, the lake, the main rivers, and the various physiographic regions and their features.  On October 29, right in time for Halloween, we will make Vermont maps out of candy and Rice Krispies Treats. The students will bring them home to eat, so you can decide how much/when/if they can eat them!

In reading, we are continuing to learn strategies for comprehension, focusing mostly on the characters in the books we are reading. We are paying attention to the traits and behaviors of our characters, as well as their struggles and yearnings. I always find that 4th graders learn to love reading in a different way once they start thinking about the characters like this!

We have spent a lot of time planning for our first writing piece. Everyone has a character and a story arc that shows the plot. Today they will begin writing their drafts on their chromebooks, and then we will spend the next few weeks revising and improving the stories. They have some amazing ideas, and I can't wait to see how their stories come out!

In math, we have moved from multiplying one-digit by two-digit numbers to division! This is often a very confusing switch for fourth graders. I was impressed yesterday by what I saw them doing! I am attaching some photos that show some of the strategies we are currently using for both multiplication and division, just so you know what I'm expecting. I know you probably learned to multiply and divide a different way! If these are confusing for you, ask your children to explain them!

Finally, there are a few things in the folder I want to tell you about. I sent home a sample of student writing along with a copy of a recent math assessment. (Due to illnesses and various times students have been out of school, not everyone has these.) I thought it would be helpful for you to have these in front of you when we have our parent conference. I so wish we were having them in person! I also sent home a list of "Words to Learn" for the students who have Word Study with me (others have it with Mrs. Lee.) These are common words your child still needs to learn. A few of the students haven't had a chance to finish this yet (and a few others don't currently have any they are working on) but they will bring them home soon! I suggest letting your child write these in shaving cream, with sidewalk chalk, over and over again with fancy pens, etc.  Make it fun!

That is all for this week. I look forward to meeting with you all over the next 2 weeks -- it's always so good to see parents and get to know them a bit!

Enjoy your weekend and the glory of fall!

Happy Friday! It's a beautiful sunny afternoon, but it was definitely too wet for Camp Swampy this morning. I am glad we postponed, and I look forward to going next week. Thank you to all of you who filled out the google doc giving permission again. If you haven't done that yet, please be sure to do so by next week. 

We've had another great week here at JES. We have continued talking about strategies for finding topics to write about during our writing time. During Word Study, we have learned about contractions and how to spell them and put the apostrophe in the correct place. In reading, we have discussions about how to write down our ideas, how to challenge ourselves, and how to check for understanding as we read.  I am continuously impressed with the reading stamina in this classroom! This group really enjoys books!

We finished our first math unit today. It was mostly a review of what it means to multiply, but we also learned about factors and multiples, as well as how to identify prime and composite numbers. We are getting into our Math Menu routines, and students are beginning to get work that I have prepared specifically for them now that I know them better as math thinkers. I collect their work weekly and correct it -- I give back any work that needs to be fixed, and I send home all work that is correct. You may see these Math Menu packets arrive in your child's folder. They often ask me if they can recycle them, and I say no! You are free to recycle them, of course, but I'd like you to know what they are working on. If you see some work that is not finished or not attempted, don't be alarmed. There are some pages that are required and others that are just there as a stretch for students who are finished or want a challenge. I don't always correct those, and that's okay!

Our science time this week was spent learning about different animal adaptations and how various structures of animal bodies help them survive. Today, we did another lab trying to decide which dish soap makes the best bubbles. This required deciding the criteria for "best" and then planning out steps and collecting our data. It was messy, but fun. The classroom smells like Palmolive!

During social studies this week, we read a historical fiction book about the Greensboro sit-ins of the 1960's and the protest movements they sparked. This led to a great conversation about protests and picketing. We talked about issues that matter to us, and each student made a "picket sign" that shows a passion worth fighting for. We had everything from "Save the animals" to "No guns." I love seeing how passionate this group is!

Finally, parent conferences are coming up soon. I look forward to (virtually) meeting all of you and talking to you about your children. The students are also welcome to attend the conference since we will be talking about them, but I will leave that up to you. Mostly, we will review how the year has been so far and make some goals for the rest of the year.  Here is a link to sign up for a conference. I have tried to have slots that are early in the morning and some that are in the evenings so I can accommodate a variety of schedules. Please let me know if none of these times work, and we will find another that does.

I hope you all have a restful weekend doing something fun!