Room 204 Update October 6, 2013 Spring Street School Mrs.

Liportos class

General Information This week we are lucky to have the Rock Man, a.k.a. Mr. Luby, coming in to school to speak to the kids about what it is like to be a geologist. He will also share his extensive rock collection with the kids. Were looking forward to seeing his this Friday! On Friday we moved seats around in the classroom. I am hopeful that the new seating arrangement will help to cut down on some of the extra chatter and calling out during lessons. The temperature outside should be beginning to cool off at some point in the near future. The students will be going outside for recess as much as possible. Please remember to send your student with appropriate outside gear. IMPORTANT DATES * Columbus Day Monday, October 14, No School * Parent Conferences No school, Tuesday November 5 * Veterans Day Monday, Nov. 11 No School *MCAS Long Composition Tuesday, Mar. 18 *MCAS English Language Arts Wednesday, Mar. 26- Thursday, Mar. 27 *MCAS Math Tuesday, May 13Wednesday, May 14

Homework Homework continues to come in regularly from most students. The progress reports that come home on Fridays will list any assignments that were late or missing. Please let me know if there are any problems or if I can help in any way. Language Arts For the next few weeks we will be focusing on the reading comprehension of Asking Questions. We will be focusing on making sure that our questions have substance to them, going over thick versus thin questions. Here is a fantastic website I found for practice in pretty much anything having to do with Language Arts, everything from grammar and writing, to spelling and cursive practice. http://www.internet4classrooms.com/skills -4th-langbuilders.htm Writing The students are working hard to expand their openings in their narrative writing. Ask your fourth grader about the classroom opening we wrote together about riding on a roller coaster, it was really great! This week we will finish their group openings that they are working on about a haunted house then the students will focus

on revising their own openings to their baseline writing. Math This week we will continue to look at multiplication facts and their related division facts. We will also continue to work on factors and multiples. Near the end of the week we will look at number stories (word problems) and strategies we can use to solve them. Students will be assessed on their multiplication and division facts using 50problem, 3 minute timed tests. The report card standard for this is that students will know their multiplication AND division facts through 12x12. They can show this by getting a 90% or better on their timed tests (Students, the secret number is 2007, the last year the Red Sox won the World Series). The first multiplicationtimed test of the year went home on Friday. Tuesday morning Math Club this week will be focusing on factors and multiples and number stories. Please have your student there for 8:00am if he/she would like to participate. EVERYDAY MATH FAMILY LETTERS online address:
http://everydaymath.uchicago.edu/parents/4 th-grade/view-family-letters/

assignment will be sent home on Tuesday (due Thursday) asking the children to go through and cut out pictures/photographs (with your permission) of landforms, resources, climate, and economic activities that we will add to class posters. After exploring what makes up all regions, we will begin our adventures in the East Region which includes the New England and MidAtlantic states. Science In science last week we learned that the mineral Calcite bubbles when it comes into contact with an acid. This week we are trying to determine if Calcite is a mineral in a few rock samples in class. Stay tuned to hear the results! Happy Birthday!!! Ryan Vroman 10/31

*Specials*
MUSIC: Tuesday 10:45-11:25 AM ART: Wednesday, 11:25-12:05 PM Health: Thursday 9:15-9:55 AM CHORUS: Friday 10:45-11:25 AM PHYSICAL EDUCATION: Friday 2L25-3:05 PM MEDIA: Every Other Wednesday, 2:45-3:00 PM

If you cannot access them, please let me know. Social Studies We will begin looking at what makes up the different regions of the United States. Our main focus will be physical features/landforms, natural resources, climate, and economic activities. An

As always, your questions/comments are welcome. Please send me an email or a note to school. Kristen Liporto