Week of November 17th

Spelling
We have a list of 10 Thanksgiving words that everyone will be learning this week.  The kids should be very familiar with all of these words thanks to the projects they have been working on.  They have also chosen 5 extra words of their own to work on this week.

I have assigned a spelling project that must include all 17 of their words.  They must choose one of the following projects to do by Thursday for a grade and then we will test on Friday.

• Use alphabet stamps and let them stamp out their words on paper.
• • Write words as "stairsteps"
• • s
  • sp
  • spe
    spel
    spell
    spelli
    spellin
    spelling
    It is fun to do on graph paper.
• Write spelling words in white crayon -or any light colored crayon, then paint over them with watercolor paint. The white crayon acts as a resist and the words "magically" appear.
• Rainbow Words: Students write each spelling word with their pencil. They then go back and trace each word with a crayon. They do this two more times with two different crayons.
• Make a wordsearch or crossword puzzle at Puzzlemaker.com with the spelling words.
• Cut letters from magazines or newspaper to spell the words.
• Spell words with alphabet macaroni (can be glued to paper) or alphabets cereal (yummy to eat!)
• Use the scrabble spelling sheet that was sent home (Must complete 2 sheets to fit all 17 words)

Thanksgiving

Our feast is coming up very soon and your kiddos have been hard at work.  Thank you so much to everyone who has already signed up to help or bring food.  Here's a few things to remember: 

• Thurs. Nov. 20th - Pie Donations and RSVP's due (I could still use some more donations for pie so that we can be sure everyone gets a piece.)  
• Pie Making Day - Mon. Nov. 24th at 12:45 pm - We still need some parents to come in and help if you are able.  Sign up Sheet 2 of the Feast sign up sheet below.  
• Feast Day - Tues. Nov. 25th at 11:30.  If you are bringing food please come by 11:15 and bring your food to the Friendship Hall.  

Thanksgiving Feast and Helper Sign Up

No Name Policy

Our class has been seriously struggling to remember putting names on assignments.  Mr. Donze and myself have had several conversations with the kids about how important this is.  I have also instituted several consequences (some as simple as reminders and some as severe as taking off 5 points), and it has not seemed to help much.  I want to inform you parents of the policy that I will follow the rest of the year.  If there is no name on your child's paper when they turn it in, I will automatically take them down half a letter grade (from an A to an A-).  Thank you for your understanding and support as I am working very hard with your kiddos on their individual responsibilities in any classroom.  

Short Week!!!

Here's what's going in this nice little week:

Book Reviews
We are doing another book review that will be assigned on Wednesday.  This time everyone will be doing the same book, "Thanksgiving on Thursday" (a Magic Treehouse book by Mary Pope Osborne).  We are just finishing up reading it in class this week, but it may be good to go check a copy of it out from the public library.  The format will be exactly the same as last time:
1st Paragraph- A summary of the book that hooks readers but does not give away the ending
2nd Paragraph - Your opinion of the book and who you would recommend the book to.
(Each paragraph needs 1 main idea sentence and at least 3 supporting details.)
These will be due on Monday 11/17

Multiplication Tests
We have tested through our 4's so far.  Here is the basic plan for how the rest of the tests will go.

• Every child will need to complete each set of multiplication tables in 40 seconds or less.  
• We will give them 3 chances to test on each set.
• The highest grade out of the 3 sets will be taken and recorded in MyKoob once they have all been completed.  (I am keeping paper records and sending home the tests immediately so they know what to work on at home.)
• If they receive a 100% on the 1st attempt they will not need to retake the test. 

Our goal is that we have all the students complete their times tables through 5's by Thanksgiving.  

If your child needs to retake a test on 0-5 we will give them a chance to retake those next week.  

Thanksgiving Feast

We are sending out invitations today.  Please be sure to RSVP on the paper invitation by Thursday Nov. 20th.  We also still have some spots to fill in on the sign up sheet for bringing in food items and helpers for the pie making day.  Here's the schedule of events: 

• Thursday Nov. 20 - RSVP's are due
• Friday Nov. 21 - Any Pie donations will need to be brought in by this day so that Mr. Fishburn and I can go shopping before Monday.  $6.00/pie (We still need quite a few)  
• Monday Nov. 24 - Pie making will begin at 1:00 pm and go until the end of the day.  We will need at least 10 parents to help with this.  
• Tuesday Nov. 25 - Thanksgiving Feast 
• The meal will begin at 11:30 am. If you are bringing food plan on arriving around 11:15 am
• Presentations will begin after the meal has finished and we will be having an open house to look at the projects in the classrooms until 2:00 pm.  

Thank You!!!

We understand this month creates a lot of extra involvement for you as parents and we are very appreciative of that.  We would not be able to do this with the kids without your help.  Thank you very much!

November is Here

This week we started working on our Thanksgiving projects.  Today they worked with their group to make a plan and assign jobs to each member of the group.  This project will be taking up the bulk of our time and everything we do for the next 2 and a half weeks will center around Thanksgiving.  Here's what to expect for this week:

Tuesday
Daniel Boone Home field trip
Leave at 8:30 am
Arrive at 9:45 am
Tour time 10:00-12:00
Lunch is dependent on the weather.  We will either eat there or on the bus as we drive home.

Please send to school:
1. sack lunch (no ordered sack lunches will be available because of our early departure time)
2. Warm clothes
3. Small umbrella or raincoat if your child has one (We will be walking outside and the forecast calls for rain all morning.)

Wednesday
No chapel
3rd and 4th grade have been invited to listen to a presentation at the Middle School campus in the morning.  We will leave around 8:40 am and be back before lunch time.  The presentation is on colonial life, which adds nicely to our Thanksgiving unit.

Thursday
Finally a normal day!

Friday 
Chapel in the morning
Book Review final drafts are due!

I have added information to the Spelling and Memory Work page for the next couple of weeks.  

Feast and Pie-Making Days

• Pie Making Day - Mon. Nov. 24th We will need a lot of extra hands so check your calendar.  More information will be coming at the end of the week.  

• Feast Day - Tues. Nov. 25th Invitations and sign ups will be sent out soon.