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Highland K-Kids: April 28, 2012
April/May
2012 Our Highland K-Kids are awesome! At our April meeting, they made beautiful flower crafts for the women at the Battered Women’s Shelter.For our last meeting, which is this Tuesday, May 1, we will beautify Highland by cleaning up the lawn and playground. We will also make “birthday” cards for the cancer survivors at the upcoming Relay for Life Race. Our high school Key Club members are sponsoring this last meeting with a hot dog picnic celebration. In order to get a ballpark figure on how many are coming, please e-mail me at st_haines@smfcsd.org, and let me know if your child(ren) will be attending. 5/ 1 : Last meeting- Clean-up and picnic celebration
5/30: Highland Honors Assembly (9:00)
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Room 5: April 17, 2012 WE’RE WORKING HARD! Time is really zipping by! Room 5 is learning and growing. In ten days our students will be taking the Reading OAA and then the Math OAA. In a few short weeks, they will be fifth graders. Amazing! In the meantime, this is what we are working on:
Language Arts:
Reading: - We have been reviewing all that we have learned about reading strategies and skills this year. We preview the selection to get a sense of what it is about, make predictions and connections, and set a purpose for reading. As we read, we revise predictions, summarize, infer, make connections, visualize, and ask and answer questions. We use strategies like adjusted reading rate, context clues, re-read, read ahead, phonics and word structure, and other fix-up strategies to insure that we comprehend what we read. Finally, when we respond to the text, we go back to the text to find the answers, using text structure and skimming strategies. We have read many genres of text and use the narrative elements (elements of fiction), author’s purpose, figurative language, structural elements of non-fiction, and graphic organizers to aid comprehension.
- Our students are reading daily, both at home and school, in order to complete the nine book reports that will be due at the end of this grading period (May 30). The requirements for this grading period include a biography. There is a book report form that is specific to this genre. Reminder: any Newbery book will count as an extra book report. Ex: If a student takes 3 weeks to read a Newbery, then when the book report is turned in, it will count as 4 book reports. If a student is unsure about how many reports a book is worth, they should ask me.
- Newbery: I strongly urge my students to participate in the Newbery Club. These are great books to read. Reporting is done in the library on M, W and TH from 8:45- 9:00 a.m. and M-F from 3:00-3:15. Students get a certificate for reporting on 6 Newbery books and a new book if they report on 12.
Written Expression: - Students have written a variety of pieces this year including letters, descriptive paragraphs, informational articles, persuasive letters, and research reports. They have learned to construct a paragraph with an introductory sentence, detail sentences and a closing sentence. They are now carrying that further by creating multiple paragraphs with an introductory paragraph, detail paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph. By varying sentences and word choices, they are able to create interesting written works. They are also becoming more proficient at editing their own work. I
- In grammar, we have learned about sentence structure, parts of speech, and punctuation. These help us to become better writers and better readers.
Science: - We have been studying our unit on weather. We have learned the difference between weather and climate, the water cycle, technology and weather characteristics used for forecasting weather, lightning, and severe weather events. We will finish this grading period with our unit on plants.
- On Friday, May 25, we will take a field trip to the McKinley Museum. Our fourth-grade will participate in a hands-on science program that covers many of the concepts learned this year.
Math: - We finished our study of fractions and decimals and are now working through the Geometry and Measurement unit. We have learned about perimeter, area and volume. We have also studied the characteristics of different polygons including triangles, quadrilaterals, and more. We know what line, line segment, ray, angle, vertices, and sides are and the difference between 1, 2 and 3 dimensions. When we finish, we will also know about 3-D objects like spheres, cubes, and pyramids. Hopefully, we will have learned and reviewed enough to sail through the Math OAA on April 30, with flying colors!
Social Studies: - We have journeyed through the Revolutionary War, statehood, the War of 1812, the Canal Era, the introduction of the train, slavery and the Civil War, immigrant groups, and the growth of the United States. We have learned about famous inventors and touched on government and economics (which we will finish up this grading period). Today, we visited Hale Farm and Village. Here we learned how pioneers in the early 1800s lived and how they participated in the economic system.
- Our students are working on the last research project of the year. Each student has chosen a famous Ohioan to research. They will write a report, create a timeline, and write a 90 second speech to present at the Wax Museum on May 8th, from 9:15- 10:30 (parents are welcome).
Ohio Achievement Assessments (OAA):
The state tests will soon arrive. Here are some tips to insure that your student will be able to perform his/her best on testing days. - Sleep: Make sure your child gets a good night’s sleep on the night before the test (at least 8-10 hours).
- Breakfast: Provide a high-protein, low sugar breakfast (eggs, cheese, or peanut butter are good sources of protein, or choose low-sugar, whole grain cereals with milk). Proteins and complex carbohydrates will provide the fuel your child’s brain will need for the 21/2 hour test. Avoid sugars, because they raise the blood sugar levels temporarily and then produce a blood sugar drop that will leave your child tired, unfocused and hungry.
- Test Day Arrival: The testing session starts at 9:05, so it is imperative that your child arrives at school on time. When testing starts, no student will be permitted to enter the classroom until after the test in finished. Also, the best test-taking situation for your student is to take the test the day the whole class is taking it. Make-up tests are not given by the student’s regular teachers. This can be an added stress for the student. Unless your child is too sick to come to school, it is best to insure that he/she is there on the scheduled test day.
Upcoming Events:
April:
17: Field trip to Hale Farm
18: Choir and Art Show Ice Cream Social- 6:00
26: READING OAA
30: MATH OAA
May:
1: K-Kids Final meeting and hot dog Cookout- after school 2: Fourth-grade visit to Lakeview
1, 2, 5: DARE training
5: Lakeview Orchestra to Highland
8: Wax Museum- 9:15 to 10:30
17: Girls’ B-Ball Luncheon in Rm. 5
18: Highland Volunteer Tea
25: Field Trip to McKinley and Fourth- Grade Farewell
28: Memorial Day- no school
30: Honors Assembly- 9:15 June:
1: Field Day/ Last student day
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