January 30, 2011

Spelling this week will be contractions. There was no pretest today, and the list that comes home will have 20 contractions to learn. The test on Thursday will be sentences containing contractions.
One important part of spelling contractions is putting the apostrophe in exactly the correct spot. This would be a good thing to practice when writing the words at home.

There is no blog word this week because there is no school on Friday.

Report cards come home on Monday. There are lots of papers in those envelopes, in addition to the report cards: church attendance, science fair information, and consultation request forms. You should sign the form, even if you do not want a conference. If you do, sign up on the sheets in the lobby. You should also sign up for a conference if the teacher has requested one.

Take a look at the science fair information and start thinking about a project. Since grades 3-5 are doing the project on their own for the first time, the teachers of those grades are planning a science fair "how to" evening, along with time for questions and answers. The date for this has not yet been chosen, but it should be within the next few weeks. You can also talk to teachers individually if you have questions or concerns. The biggest issue is not to wait until the last minute.

January 24, 2011

Congratulations to Kyle, who took third place in the St. Jacobi Geography Bee. Considering that first and second place went to eighth graders, Kyle's performance was outstanding! Great job!

Remember that family tree forms need to be filled out and returned by this Friday, January 28.

A few weeks ago, in afternoon devotion, the fourth graders wrote a song of praise. Here are the words; it is sung to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star":

Holy, holy God on high,
God created you and I,
Made the birds sing in the trees,
Made the flowers and the bees,
Sent his Son to save us all,
When he calls us one and all.

Since today is the beginning of the third quarter, our blog word this week is fresh start. Fourth grade is now officially half over, and to commemorate out fresh start, last week we cleaned and re-arranged our desks. Even though it is a fresh start, if your child was absent last week, s/he may still have some make up work to catch up on. Please take care of this as soon as possible.
Thanks!

January 16, 2011

Our Christmas collection for the almoner fund was $55.70. Thank you for your generosity in helping those less fortunate.

We just finished reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in class, and we have started watching the movie. I assumed that everyone would have seen it by now, but have since learned that some have not. While the book is excellent, there are a few parts in the movie that are a little scarier than the book, either because the director chose to show more of the fighting or because some things are a little more frightening when they are seen as opposed to being read about. The movie is rated PG, and my opinion is that in general it is well done. But if your child is more sensitive and comes home upset about something s/he saw, please let me know. Thank you.

Finally, Mrs. Hackmann has reminded the class about the importance of knowing math facts, specifically multiplication. They are being reviewed in class, and there are many activities around the room which the students can use in their free time to help review them. But the most important thing that needs to be done is review and practice at home. Beginning this Friday, those students who do not know their multiplication facts well enough to pass the timed tests will be losing some of their recess time to go to Mrs. Lippert's room to practice. If I were a fourth grader, I would much rather spend a few minutes each day practicing at home, or in the car, than to have to give up some recess. The choice is yours. And the blog word this week, which I will look for on Friday, is "multiplication facts."

Janary 10, 2011

Today we begin the first full week of school in 2011. That means there will be spelling words coming home today and a test on Thursday.

The kids seem to have adjusted to the minor schedule change caused by the switch between Mr. Albrecht and me. Therefore the blog word this week is switch and I will be looking for it in your assignment notebook on Friday during lunch. It has been awhile since we have had a blog word, so you might have to help me remember to check.

Forms for family trees were handed out in October. These need to be filled out and handed in on or before Friday, January 28. If you are unable to locate your form, please ask for a new one.

Second quarter ends next week Friday, January 21. We need to be sure that all make up work is done by then. Also, this is the time of year when school supplies begin to run out. Some stores are even having sales again, so check with your child to see if s/he still has enough. Most common items to run out of are looseleaf paper, pencils, and erasers. We've also noticed that some folders are falling apart as well, and there are a few book covers missing.

Check this week's Tuesday folder for information about the St. Jacobi Health and Wellness Fair and the Six Flags reading program. Also, the Book It requirement for this month is to read a mystery. Everyone in the class will be required to read a mystery and fill out a form that I will give them as part of their reading assignment. They are to choose one of the easy ones I have in the room, which only take about an hour to finish. If they want to use it for Book It, they need to choose a more challenging book and get my approval ahead of time.

January 2, 2011

After putting about 2500 miles on the car, my husband and I are now safely back from Texas. It was quick, but God kept us safe all the while. It will now take some time for me to get caught up on correcting, so please be patient.

Remember that family trees are due soon. I neglected to remind you about that over break, so I am giving you until the end of January to finish them.

Finally, a change is coming. Starting this week, Mr. Albrecht and I will be making a trade. He will be teaching fourth grade science, and I will be teaching his reading class. The students will probably notice a change in how things are done, but I am sure they will adapt quickly. If you have any questions, you can talk to me or Mr. Albrecht.

Wishing you all God's blessings in the new year. Mrs. Hackmann and I thank you for the lovely Christmas gifts, and for the gift of Scrip.