Urgent Parent Meeting

Remember the parent meeting that will be held March 6^th in the AHS auditorium beginning at 6:30pm.  Information will be given about happenings at school, as well as how everyone in the community can help our students with their education! 

Recent test results, as well as a progress report will be availbale for pick up that evening, too.

Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride

This week we are reading “Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride” by Pam Munoz Ryan.  We will focus on these vocabulary words in this story.  It would be helpful if you will reinforce the meaning of these words at home with your child.

Vocabulary Word	Meaning
aviator	person who flies an aircraft; pilot
brisk	keen; sharp
cockpit	place where the pilot sits in an airplane
daring	bold; fearless; courageous
elegant	having or showing good taste; gracefully and richly refined; beautifully luxurious
outspoken	not reserved; frank
solo	without a partner, teacher, etc.; alone

Please practice these spelling words at home as well.  The words in italics are our challenge spelling words.

Spelling Words: telephone, biography, telescope, photograph, microwave, diameter, barometer, microscope, headphones, microphone, autograph, microchip, telegraph, perimeter, paragraph, phonics, symphony, saxophone, periscope, megaphone, stethoscope, xylophone, cacophony, microorganism, microbe

Leap into the Heart of Reading Challenge

Students, remember to keep up on your nightly reading!  Fourth graders need to read 2 ½ hours each week to meet our goal!  Slips are due each Wednesday so that we can keep track of how each student is doing.  I have several students who are not returning these to school.  Please help your child remember!

The students who meet their reading goal of 10 hours will attend Dr. Suess' The Lorax on Friday, March 2, 2012.

Lost City: The Discovery of Machu Picchu

This week we are reading “Lost City: The Discovery of Machu Picchu” by Ted Lewin.  We will focus on the following vocabulary words in this story.  It would be helpful if you will reinforce the meaning of these words at home with your child. 

Vocabulary Word	Meaning
curiosity	an eager desire to know or learn
glorious	magnificent; splendid
granite	a very hard gray or pink rock that is formed when lava cools slowly underground
ruins	what is left after a building, wall, etc., has fallen to pieces
terraced	formed into a flat, level land with steep sides; terraces are often made in hilly areas to create more space for farming
thickets	bushes or small trees growing close together
torrent	a violent, rushing stream of water

Here are our spelling words for the week.  The words in italics are the optional challenge spelling words.

Spelling Words: basic, vacant, secret, honor, local, novel, olive, tiger, spinach, second, donate, locust, beware, emotion, cabin, tripod, dragon, habit, tribute, lizard, icicles, lemonade, momentum, economy, isosceles

Transformation websites

Slide (translation) – a transformation that slides a figure a given distance in a given direction. A slide is also called a translation.

Flip (reflection) – a transformation creating a mirror image of a figure on the opposite side of a line. A flip is also called a reflection.

Turn (rotation) – the transformation that occurs when a figure is turned a certain angle and direction around a point. A turn is also called a rotation.

Harcourt Flips, Slides and Turns

Flip-turn-and-slide

Slide, Flip and Turn

Groups Working Together

Valentine's

We love Valentine's Day. 

 Giving and receiving valentines is so much fun!

Peer Tutoring Mentoring

Today we started with Mrs. Lee with our training on how to work with our first grade partners.

Each fourth grade student will be involved in helping tutor a 1^st grade student for the next month with his/her reading skills.  This happens the first 30 minutes on Monday – Thursday and will begin after President’s Day.  

Progress Reports

Progress Reports are being sent home today.  Please take time to look through these. Please sign and return them so that I know you are aware of your child’s progress.   Most of the zero scores indicate work that has NOT been handed in.  Please encourage your child to take care of these as soon as possible.

NWEA MAP Winter Testing Is Finishing Up

We take our last MAP test today!  We do have a few make-up tests for those who were absent.  As a whole the student scores have been increasing.  Thank you for encouraging your child to do his/her best.

These scores will be given to you March 6^th at a Parent Night being held at 6:30 in the AHS auditorium.

Sailing Home

This week we are reading “Sailing Home: A Story of a Childhood at Sea” by Gloria Rand.  We will focus on the following vocabulary words in this story.  It would be helpful if you will reinforce the meaning of these words at home with your child.

Vocabulary Word	Meaning
bow	the forward part of a ship, boat, or aircraft; front
cargo	load of goods carried by a ship, plane, or truck; freight
celestial	of the sky or outer space; heavenly
conducted	directed; managed
dignified	having dignity; noble; stately
navigation	skill or process of finding a ship’s aircraft’s position and course
quivered	shook; shivered; trembled
stern	the rear part of a ship or boat

Spelling Words: reaction, prerecorded, incorrectly, incredibly, disobedient, disagreeable, refreshment, unbreakable, declaration, retirement, misdialed, undefined, unhappily, watchfully, gleefully, sportsmanship, repayment, questionable, displacement, midshipman, multicultural, universally, understatement, outlandish, inflammable

Reading Challenge

Remember to keep up on your nightly reading!  Fourth graders need to read 2 ½ hours each week to meet our goal!  Slips are due each Wednesday so that we can keep track of how each student is doing.  I have several students who are not returning these to school.  Please help your child remember!

The students who meet their reading goal will attend Dr. Suess' The Lorax on Friday, March 2, 2012.

Next Book Report

Don’t forget that the Award Winning Book Reports need to be turned in by March 7^th.

Students have three choices for the type of report this month. They each get to choose the one project that most interests him/her. 1. Book jacket Cover 2. Book Float and/or 3. Scrapbook page.

Newsletter Reminders for February 6th Week

NWEA MAP winter testing is here!  Our class has been scheduled to test on Tuesday- February 7^th, Wednesday  -February 8^th, Thursday- February 9^th and Monday- February 13^th. 

Parents, please help your child prepare to do his or her best by encouraging an early bedtime the night before, as well as a good breakfast the morning of each testing session.  Thank you for your help in this matter!

These scores will be given to you at an upcoming meeting for parents in early March.

School Reading Challenge

Remember to keep up on your nightly reading!  Fourth graders need to read 2 ½ hours each week to meet our goal!

The first slip is due Wednesday so we can chart how we are doing as a class!

Students may bring a decorated box on Valentine’s Day!  We will have a small activity in class that afternoon.  Please do not send Valentines earlier than the 14th.

Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Slippery Salamander

This week we are reading “Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Slippery Salamander” by Donald Sobol.  We will focus on the following vocabulary words in this story.  It would be helpful if you will reinforce the meaning of these words at home with your child.

Vocabulary Word	Meaning
amphibians	cold-blooded animals with backbones and moist, scaleless skins.  Their young usually have gills and live in water until they develop lungs for living on land
crime	activity of criminals; violation of law
exhibit	act of displaying; public showing
lizards	reptiles with long bodies and tails, movable eyelids, and usually four legs.  Some lizards have no legs and look much like snakes.
reference	used for information or help
reptiles	cold-blooded animals with backbones and lungs, usually covered with horny plates or scales
salamanders	animals shaped like lizards, but related to frogs and toads.  Salamanders have moist, smooth skin and live in water or in damp places
stumped	puzzled

Spelling Words: distrust, uncertain, incomplete, unlikely, unfair, discontinue, unaware, disorder, discount, indirect, unopened, disrespect, unimportant, unlisted, disrepair, inability, disapprove, unsolved, disobey, unsuspecting, disintegrate, disillusioned, unconscious, unappetizing, intolerant

Groundhog's Day

Happy Groundhog's Day!  This morning we all heard the official word from Punxsutawney Phil! There will be 6 more weeks of winter because he saw his shadow!

We took Altamont Groundhog outside today and here are our results:

No shadows for us - anywhere!  Will we really have an early spring?

Valentine's

Students may bring a decorated box on Valentine’s Day!  We will have a small activity in class that afternoon.  Please do not send Valentines earlier than that day

School Wide Reading Challengs Correction

The school wide reading challenge begins today, February 1^st!  I had a typo in the last newsletter - Fourth graders need to read 2 and ½ hours each week to reach their goal.  That is 30 minutes each school night a week or 20 minutes a day with an extra 10 minutes somewhere.

This year there is a component for the adults, as well.  Keep track of how much you read and submit it to.  The race is on.  Who can read the most – elementary students, high school students or adults?