Clips from the Newsletter August 1, 2009
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I was delighted with the graphs your children made. It is amazing how quickly they learn how to use the computer to help them do their schoolwork.
We also explored the difference between salt water and fresh water. We evaporated salt water and then examined the salt crystal. Ask your child what a salt crystal looks like.
Thank you for coming in for Parent Teacher Conferences. I appreciate your insight and enjoy the opportunity to talk with you about your child.
We began our discussion of the oceans this week. We learned some statistics that help us to see why our earth is called the Water Planet. The children started an assignment that asks them to graph the results given in the graphs. They may draw these by hand or create them using the “Create-A-Graph” website; http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/CreateAGraph/ The children who were in school today worked with it and did quite a nice job. If you do not have a color printer, the children may use shades instead. This project is due on Tuesday 11/17.
The fall party was a success! How fun it is to watch your children plan and participate in their party. They all had a good time. They had popcorn, pumpkin seeds, apples, muffins, cookies, and plenty of apple juice and cider. They played a variety of games including two guessing games. One of the children passed out her favorite recipes and the decorations were delightful!
The North Shore Firefighters are coming to school this week. They will talk to our class about fire safety on Friday. We appreciate the firefighters who take time out of their day to be with our children.
The book fair begins on Wednesday. Your child will get a chance to peruse the selections before Family Fun Night. They will fill out a “wish list”. Plan on coming out Wednesday night to buy some of the books or just to enjoy the third grade’s Family Fun Night dinner.
Your child wrote a book review this week. I plan on publishing their reviews on our website. I have to work out some of the details. Next week you will receive a permission slip and further information about your child’s participation.
The bugs arrived this week. Did you know that bugs have environmental preferences? The children released darkling beetles and isopods into a runway with three different soil types; dry, moist, and wet. Ask your child what his/her bug preferred.
In an effort to become efficient math students, our class is memorizing our multiplication facts. You can help me at home by quizzing your child 3-4 times a week. We will start at the beginning (0’s and 1’s) and work our way up. There are some math websites linked to our home page.
We finished our book, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, by Judy Blume. If your child enjoyed this book, encourage him/her to look for others in the series.
Open House was a success. The preparation was almost as much fun as the actual event. They worked so hard to get their desks, lockers, and classroom to look beautiful for you. Thank you for taking the time to let them show off their classroom.
Riveredge was a wonderful experience! We had beautiful weather and the children learned so much. Each small group was assigned their own section of the pond. They were responsible to gather and record everything they saw in their own section. They drew their observations on a large sheet of paper. Samples were collected and brought back to the lab where the children could examine the pond water from their section under a microscope. You can imagine their surprise when they discovered living things in the water that they could not see before. After the microscope activity, they got back together as a group. They put all of the sections together to make one huge pond! Then they talked about how all of the elements, both living and nonliving, interacted. What a great day to be a teacher!
