Two of our students placed in the Elms Road Spelling Bee.  That represents the top spellers out of about eighty-five children.  Clayton took first place and Jacob P. took second place.  They went on to compete against the other Swartz Creek Elementary Schools.

Neither one of the boys placed, but they both did very well.  They were competing against the top spellers out of 300 children.  We are very proud of them. 

The party will be Wednesday, February 10 at 2:30.

Have your child bring a decorated box for the cards and contest. A list with student names lwill go home soon.

The field trip date will be Wednesday, May 26.  We are planning on going to Impressions Five Hands-on Science Museum and Potter Park Zoo. More information will be provided at a later date. 

We will not have spelling this week or next week. We will be doing vocabulary word study instead. 

The children took the DIBELS fluency reading test again this past week.  This test measures the words per minute that the children read.  In October, the average was 88 words per minute. The average went up to 122 words per minute.  As a whole, the class gained 34 words per minute. 

The children also did well on the STAR reading test.  In September, the average grade level equivalent was 4.1.  In January, the average grade level was 5.1. That represents a one year gain.

The comprehension test also showed some tremendous gains. I will share this information with parents at conference. Most all of the children are currently either at grade level or above grade level.
Some of these students do still have some gaps that we will be working on.

If we want to become better readers, we must read.  Keep the home reading logs coming.  Way to go Kids!

We are still working on states of matter and energy.

We are working on double digit multiplication and then we will be working on long division.  This is usually the most challenging math for the children. If the children do not know their basic facts well, there are many places in the problem that children might make mistakes. 

We are working on identifying themes in literature. We will be working on author's craft: simile, metaphor, repetition, onomatopoeia, alliteration, etc.

We are working on government in social studies.  This is the most difficult unit for children because of all the abstract concepts.  We are taking our time by reading different stories and doing simulation activities. Test will be next week.  I will post a study sheet soon.

Math
     Estimating
     Double digit multiplication
     Review
Social Studies
     Map Skills
     Regions
Reading
     biography /autobiography
     Guided Reading Groups
     Reading Strategy -visualization
Writing
    Five Finger Detail (Character description,
    character action, dialogue, thoughtshots,
     developing setting)
     Lead sentence
Grammar
     Nouns
     Pronouns
     Verbs
     Capitalization
     Sentence structure
Science
     properties of matter
     measurement
     graphing
Word Study
     plurals
     prefixes
     suffixes
     No excuse words

     Home reading logs are due every Monday. Read for twenty minutes a night.  Reading is a skill that needs to be practiced.


Click this link for a list of books that boys might like to read.  Guys Read

Dates to Remember
Every Monday- Home Reading Log due
Friday- spelling test (words posted under more)
1-18-10 No school -Martin Luther King's birthday
1-29-10 1/2 day End of 1st semester
2-10-10 Velentine Party 2:30
2-12-10 No school - President's weekend
2-15-10 No school - President's weekend
3-?-10 1/2 day Parent teacher conferences
3-?-10 Parent teacher conferences
3-? No school
4-2-10 No school - Good Friday- spring break begins
5-26-10 Field Trip -all day

  Daily Schedule
Every day -11:50 recess

            12:10 lunch

Monday-11:05-11:50-Art

Tuesday-9:35-10:20-       

       Physical Education

       Remember your gym shoes

Wednesday-9:35-10:20-Art

Thursday-9:40-10:25-Techology

        1:00 library –
        Remember   your library book

Friday-9:35-10:20-Physical Education

             Remember your gym shoes

Below are links to the fourth grade level content expectations provided by the Michigan Government specifically written for parents.  Teachers commonly refer to these grade level content expectations as GLCE's pronounced "glicks."