Language Arts

Reading: 

*Al Capone Does My Shirts

*Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

*Jennifer Murdley’s Toad

*The Sweetest Fig

THANK YOU to Ms. Colletto and Ms. McIntosh for reading with us this week!

Writing: 

*Summarizing

*Figurative Language

Technology: 

*Edmodo

*Dropbox

Math

*Decimals/Fractions

*Multiplication/Algebra

*Mad Minutes

Social Studies 

* California Regions Project and Summary Paragraphs

 Science

*Ecosystems

*Beetles/Isopods

*Terrarium Forests!

*Food Chains & Webs

Miscellaneous:

*October 22 (Monday)  -  Staff Development Day - No School for Students

*October 26 - All School Author Assembly with Henry Neff 1:00-2:00pm in MPR

*October 31 – Class Party  10:35-11:25am  Bel Aire Halloween Parade 1:15-1:50pm on field

*Attached is your child’s data sheet of usernames and passwords to keep home for your reference.

Language Arts

Reading:  We continued to read Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko.  Students are keeping a literary response journal in which they respond to the different chapters, situations and characters

THANK YOU to Ms. McDonnell for coming in to read with us on Wednesday.   Please go to our class calendar on www.lotsahelpinghands.com to sign up for reading groups in the next few months.  (The email address is SanchezCats@gmail.com, password is catscountry.)  We need 4-5 adults each Wednesday from 9:15-10:15.  Thank you!

Our Chris Van Allsburg author’s visit continued with the book The Wretched Stone.  Ask your child if s/he made a correct prediction or connection after our book jigsaw.

Writing:  Student continued to write meaningful paragraphs and detailed sentences.  This week students have been learning how to make (and create) inferences.   We have also been practicing our letter writing skills in the form of literature responses and to our MOSAIC classmates who have been gone all week at MOSAIC camp!

Math

This week we have been practicing how to identify larger decimal values and compare fractions and decimals.  Students have played several games to help reinforce concepts—most of which can be played at home with a deck of cards.  Ask your child to show you!

We continued to practice daily Mad Minutes.  The template I use is attached.   Please reproduce and have your child practice at home.  Thank you.

Social Studies 

Students are finishing up their paragraphs on a specific feature of a region.   This is part of a group writing project. This paragraph will ultimately become part of a 5 paragraph essay on a California region.  Ask your child about his/her paragraph.

 Science

It’s finally happening!  Students have started to see progress in their terrariums-including sprouts and roots!  This week groups added a special element to their terrarium:  animals!  Well, not exactly animals, but living organisms—pill bugs and darkling beetles.  Ask your child what s/he learned about the environmental preferences of these organisms and living/non-living factors that affect  the ecosystem.  *Check out the photos of the new critters and terrarium growth in the gallery on the class website!

Miscellaneous:

*Monday, October 22nd is a staff development day.  NO school for students.

*Wednesday, October 31st, we will celebrate HALLOWEEN in room A4 at 10:35, and then again as a school at 1:00 on the field.  Parents are welcome to both festivities!

What a week!
Here are some highlights:
*Click on the gallery tab to see photos of our Star Route Farm field trip!  THANK YOU to our volunteer drivers:  Ms. Chou, Ms. McIntosh, Ms. Raynor, Ms. Roberts, Ms. Schory and Ms. Snyder.  What a fun day!
*Click on the gallery tab to see photos of our science activity:  'Planting terrariums'.
*Check out the new pages on the class website for information about the Bel Aire PE and Spanish program.
*Ask your child about the latest book mosaic with our author study on Chris Van Allsburg.
*Have you seen our Edmodo page?  Have your child show you how our class uses this learning tool!
*THANK YOU to the following families who donated aution items:
Bressie, O'Donnell, Griggs, Colletto, McIntosh, Snyder, Lowry, MadDonald, and Crook.  Because of you all, the first auction was a HUGE success!  Thank you.
UPCOMING EVENTS/DATES:
*October 8-12- Book Fair in the Bel Aire MPR.
*Monday, October 24, is a staff development day.  No school for students.
CLASSROOM VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
*Please check out our calendar on lotsahelpinghands.com and sign up for spots! 
We need more volunteers for Wednesday's reading groups (9:15-10:15), Math Games (Friday, Oct. 26) and classroom/garden help every Wednesday after lunch..
Thank you!