School Wide Soar Party Early Release Next Friday, January 26 is our next early release. Dismissal will be at 12:15. Please be sure to communicate with your student if a sack lunch needs to be ordered. Historical Fiction Book Clubs In two weeks we will be starting our historical fiction book clubs. This is a really fun unit for the kids. They will be learning how to discuss their books not just share ideas they have. Please read the following letter so you know to expect and also the book options there may be for your student. Musical Opportunity Please see this opportunity in regard to the high school musical this year. I have also sent it through email. Class Charter We revisited our charter. The class decided to change out the words. Please see our newly revised charter below. Specials Monday - Art Tuesday - STEAM Wednesday - PE Thursday - Music Friday - Recess (early release) Curriculum Connection Reading - Students will finish their google slide presentations and present their information. Writing - Students will be writing the body paragraphs of their literary essays. They will learn how to include direct quotes from the passages to use as support. Math - Students will learning strategies to help solve comparison word problems in math. Social Studies - Students will be reading various historical fiction books to identify what pushed people to move away from certain places and what pulled them to the new place. SEL - We will be working with the emotion word Optimistic. We will learn what it means and strategies to either stay or shift to feeling optimistic. Word Study - We will be work with prefixes this week.
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Reading Logs
Winter Gear Please remember that students play outside before school begins, after lunch, and in the afternoon. Students will be outside unless the windchill is below zero. Please make sure students have proper winter clothing with them at school. You may want to include an extra pair of gloves/mittens and socks. Please also be sure your student packs tennis shoes for the classroom. Our floor and meeting area tends to get wet and cold if boots have to be worn all day. Important Dates
Specials this Week
Curriculum Connection
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas, New Year, and break! May this be a time to enjoy with family and friends, relax, and refresh for the start of a new year. I know we plan to enjoy our time together at home! I probably won't be checking email until the January 7 or even January 8 in the morning. Reading Logs and Snap Math Reading Logs will be due on Friday, January 12. The requirement is still 120 minutes. If they read more than that over break, fantastic! Please continue to review your student's SNAP math plan over break. There are many students who are still dependent on the multiplication charts for fact recall. Specials After Break Monday - PE Tuesday - Music Wednesday - Art Thursday - STEAM Friday - PE Curriculum Connection Reading - Students will be researching the answers to various research questions based on the job they have in researching their weather phenomenon. They will also begin creating a presentation to share their research. Writing - We will begin our literary essay unit. Students will analyze the similarities and differences between personal essays and literary essays. They will also begin to craft thesis statements for the short stories they read. Math - Students will be interacting with algebraic equations with variables. They will also identify situation and solution equations. Social Studies - Students will be learning about human geography. They will be identifying ways people impact the environment. They will also identify what pushes someone to an area and what pulls someone away from an area. Grammar - Students will work to identify run on sentences and how to revise them. SEL - We will revisit our classroom charter. We will decide if we should change any of our words for this part of the year. Thank you! Thank you to everyone who donated or helped wrap for our service project. The fourth grade classes donated a considerable amount of money. Because of this, a large family in our community will be blessed this Christmas season. I may need to bring in my family's gifts for my students to wrap. They did a phenomenal job! Thank you again! Spirit Week To add a little fun to the week before break, we are having a school wide spirit week. Below is a schedule of the days. Santa Secret Shop
Your student should have brought home a letter and envelope for Santa's Secret Shop. Our shopping day and time is Monday at 9:30. Please do not feel like you have to have your student participate. Any student who doesn't bring money will do a fun Christmas activity. Gingerbread Houses On Friday, December 22 students will be constructing their own gingerbread house. This will be right away at 9:00 in our classroom. Several of you have signed up letting me know you are planning on attending this event. If you haven't let me know and are interested, just email me. Please make sure you have completed a background check for the 23-24 school year. If you are donating to this event, please send in your items Monday if at all possible. I like to create individual kits for the students to use. Students do not need to bring a gift in for a gift exchange. They will receive a small gift from me, but we will not do a student gift exchange. We will be doing fun activities throughout the day to celebrate the season! Specials this Week Monday - STEAM Tuesday - PE Wednesday - Music Thursday - Art Friday - STEAM Curriculum Connection Reading - We will begin our weather research project. Students will be assigned a specific task in the research process. They will use their summarize skills to synthesize the information so they can remember what they learn. Writing - We will be finishing our personal essays by writing introduction, conclusions, and revising for clarity. Math - Math test should be coming home next week. This was a HARD test, especially the story problems. We will be working with division word problems and will reassess before break. Science/Social Studies - We have tested for this unit and will not begin a new social studies until after break. During this time we will be identifying themes while reading some fun Christmas books. Word Study - We will be learning some of the ways to spell the long u sound. Music Program
Our program is quickly approaching. The students have worked so hard on their songs. I can't wait to watch it all come together on Thursday, December 7. Where: Fellowship Reformed Church - in Hudsonville When: Thursday, December 7 @ 7:30. Please do not drop your student off before 7:10 as there won't be any supervision before 7:10. Please also note...this year instead of picking your student up in the room you dropped him/her off at, we will dismiss from the stage. Please make sure you take your student's belongings with you. Service Project If you signed up to purchase gifts for our project, you will be notified early next week with a gift idea. You can send your gift to school whenever you purchase it. You are all welcome, even if you didn't purchase a gift, to come help us wrap on Thursday, December 14 at 9:00 in the gym. Please make sure you have completed a volunteer background check for this school year prior to coming. Please also complete the google form so we know who to plan on being in attendance. All links will be posted below. Early Release The next early release is Friday, December 15 at 12:15. Please be sure your student knows if he/she needs to order a sack lunch. Gingerbread Houses/Thematic Day On Friday, December 22 we will be creating gingerbread houses. There is a sign up below for items we need for our houses. You are also welcome to join us for this with your student beginning at 9:00. My guess is it will go until 9:30 or 10:00. If you sign up to bring items this event, it would be greatly appreciated if you could have them at school by Friday, December 15. I will work on creating individual kits for students to use on the 22nd. This will cut down on germs and contamination. No one needs to be sick for break!:) If you are planning on attending you do need to have a current background check on file for this school year. Specials this Week Monday - Art Tuesday - STEAM Wednesday - Music Practice Thursday - Music Friday - Art Curriculum Connection Reading: Students will continue to work with nonfiction. They will identify text structures, utilize strategies when text are narrative and non-narrative, and learn how to summarize main ideas. Writing: Students will draft reasons that support their opinion, and create mini stories to elaborate those reasons. Math: Students will continue to work on long division. They will also work on answer questions that may or may not include the remainder. Social Studies: Students will continue to work with Mr. Bolhuis on US geography. Word Study: We will continue to work with the long o spelling patterns. SEL: We will continue to work with the emotion word connect. Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all enjoy extended family time. There is no school Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. Your student should have brought home his/her turkey pardon essay. This was a 4 day mini unit where they had to persuade me to pardon them. Take a minute to read them. The essays were very creative. 4th Grade Service Project Your student should have come home with an information sheet about a service project we have the opportunity to be part of. I have attached the link to the letter that came home today. Dinner Out Music Program On Thursday, December 7 the students will be performing their program they have been working extremely hard on. The program will be at Fellowship Reformed Church on 36th right in Hudsonville. The K-1 program begins at 6:20. Doors for that program open at 6:00. The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade program is at 7:30. Students may be dropped off to the room at 7:10. Please do not drop off before that as there will not be supervision. Specials this Week Monday - Music Tuesday - Art Wednesday - STEAM Thursday - PE Friday - Music Curriculum Connection Reading - Students will be working on identifying nonfiction text structures to better understand what they read. Remember reading logs are not due until Friday, December 1. Writing - Students will begin analyzing the structure of personal essays. Math - Students will continue to work on strategies for long division. Please keep working on memorizing multiplication facts and division facts by reviewing their SNAP math. Many students are still dependent on the multiplication charts. Word Study - Students will work on the long O spelling pattern. Grammar - Students will be working on identifying, writing, and punctuating simple and complex sentences. SEL - We are going to be learning about the emotion word connected. We will identify what being connected may look like, feel like, and sound like. We will also develop thought and action strategies to help us move to or stay feeling connected. Thank You!
I cannot begin to express my appreciation for all who came out for conferences! It was wonderful celebrating each students' successes and also setting goals to help them reach their full potential! Reading Log Students will receive a new reading log. It will not be due until December 1. Even though it will span over two weeks, students still only need to read 120 minutes. If they read more, fantastic! You can also write on the back of the reading log. Happy Thanksgiving! Because of Thanksgiving, there will be no school November 22-24. I hope this time is a time of renewal and wonderful gatherings with those you love most! I am looking forward to a few days at home with our kids and my parents. There is so much to thankful for! I look forward to seeing everyone back on November 27. Save the Date The music program will be Thursday, December 7 at Fellowship Reformed Church. The address is 6610 36th Avenue in Hudsonville. More information regarding times etc will be coming home soon! Specials this Week Monday - STEAM Tuesday - PE Curriculum Connection Reading - Students will be continuing to work with nonfiction. They will be working on determining the structure in which nonfiction is written. They will identify description, cause/effect, problem/solution, chronological order, and compare/contrast. Writing - Students will finish the mini opinion writing. They have been become turkeys petitioning the president to be the pardoned turkey this Thanksgiving. Math - Students will be practicing long division using the strategy that works best for them. Social Studies - Mr. Bolhuis will be teaching the first geography unit. Parent Teacher Conferences Thank you for signing up for a conference time. The conferences are back to back so please try to be on time for your conference, as I will need to end the conference at the scheduled time. PE CARES Food Drive We have begun the PE CARES food drive. All food donations will go to families within our school and our community. This is a great opportunity for our students to show generosity to those in our community. Welcome! We want to welcome Skylar to our classroom family. She joined our class on Thursday. We are so happy to have her in our room! Upcoming Dates November 13 - Parent Teacher Conferences November 15 - Parent Teacher Conferences November 21 - Last day of food drive November 22-24 - Thanksgiving Break: No School December 7 - Music Program (more details will be coming home) Specials Next Week Monday - Art Tuesday - STEAM Wednesday - PE Thursday - Music Friday - Art Curriculum Connection Reading - We will begin our second nonfiction unit. This unit has a weather theme to it. We will begin by connecting to our topic and previewing it. Writing - Students will be doing their narrative on demand. We will also start a mini unit on opinion writing. Math - We will be reviewing multiplication concepts we have covered so far. We will also be moving to division. Please keep reviewing SNAP math facts. Students will not be able to use multiplication charts after Christmas break. Social Studies - Mr. Bolhuis will be coming in to teach the first part of Geography. SEL - We are going to be learning about the emotion word discouraged. We will identify what being discouraged may look like, feel like, and sound like. We will also develop thought and action strategies to help us shift from being discouraged to encouraged. Cold Weather = Warm Clothes The cold weather is here. Please make sure your student has a warm winter coat, snow pants, hats, and gloves. If you need assistance with this please reach out to us here at school. If your child has a second pair of tennis shoes, he/she is more than welcome to keep a pair here at school for PE. Our classroom temperature does fluctuate a bit so dressing in layers is a good idea. Please remember the district dress code for elementary students states: ● Clothing promoting alcohol use or clothing which depicts violence, hatred, gang-related, or sexually suggestive material, is prohibited. ● No bare midriffs, sides, or backs. ● Shoes must be worn to and in school at all times for safety and hygiene. The second one is the biggest one to watch for because many styles, especially for girls, are crop top type sweaters and shirts. Please make sure your student does not come to school in shirts that reveal his/her stomach. PE CARES We have begun the PE CARES food drive. All food donations will go to families within our school and our community. This is a great opportunity for our students to show generosity to those in our community. Your student can begin bringing in item on Monday. Body Safety On Friday, November 10 a worker from the Ottawa County Child Advocacy Center will be coming to our classroom. She will be reviewing what the students have learned the past couple years about body safety. This program is really well done! We are fortunate to have our students be a part of it. Your child should have come home last week with a letter explaining it. Our presentation will be 9:00-10:00. Just a reminder...this is not our health video! That will be coming on May. Early Release Friday, November 10 is also our next early release. Dismissal will be at 12:15. Specials Next Week Monday - Art Tuesday - STEAM Wednesday - PE Thursday - Music Friday - Recess Curriculum Connection Reading - Students have moved into narrative nonfiction. They will study characters to make interpretations, envision what is happening in their books to help understand the nonfiction information, infer to gain new insights about subjects, and teach others what they are learning. Writing - Students will be finalizing their revisions and publishing their realistic fiction stories. Math - Students will be practicing the multiplication strategies we have been working on. The test will be Thursday or Friday. This will be form A. Students who need a little more practice because they receive a 1 or 2 in certain areas will receive that practice. Then they will be reassessed on the necessary concepts. Please continue to be reviewing your student's SNAP math plan. We have several students relying heavily on their multiplication charts. There will come a time when they won't be able to use these any longer. Social Studies/Science - We will be doing some assessments during this time so there won't be any science or social studies this week. Grammar - Students will be working with subject and predicate parts of sentences. SEL - We will be finishing our work with the word engagement. Conferences Mrs. Lidgard sent the link out to sign up for conferences. It should be in your email. Body Safety Your student should be coming home with a body safety letter. This is presented by the Ottawa County Child Advocacy Center. They do a phenomenal job! It is not the health video. This doesn't happen until May. Halloween Students may wear their costumes to school on Tuesday if they would like. Please remember there cannot be any type of weapons with the costume. Those need to stay home. As long as the weather cooperates we will have a costume parade beginning at 9:15. We will walk down Park Ave to VanBuren to 36th to Curtis, back to Park Ave. If you would like to attend please line up along the route. Please be sure to speak with your student about wearing his/her costume at recess. I will provide time to change if you would rather the costume not be worn outside at recess. Important Dates October 31 - Halloween Costume Parade @ 9:15 November 5 - Daylight Savings End; Don't forget to turn your clocks back November 10 - Early Release: Dismissal @ 12:15 November 13 - Parent Teacher Conferences November 15 - Parent Teacher Conferences November 22-24 - Thanksgiving Break: No School Music Website Mr. Bouwman has created a music website. It has all of the songs uploaded to it so students can be practicing at home if they would like. Specials Next Week Monday - Music Tuesday - Art Wednesday - STEAM Thursday - PE Friday - Music Curriculum Connection Reading - Students will be moving into narrative nonfiction. They will use story elements to understand true stories and will use filters to determine when to utilize fiction strategies and when to use nonfiction strategies. Writing - Students will continue to draft their realistic fiction story. They will expand the turning point, create powerful endings, and begin revising for clarity. Math - Students will be estimating products, practicing two digit by two digit multiplication, and multiplying four digit by one digit problems. Social Studies - Mr. Wiebenga will be finishing the economic unit. The students will be testing on Friday. Opportunities to review will be coming home throughout next week. SEL - We are going to be learning about the emotion word engaged. We will identify what being engaged may look like, feel like, and sound like. We will also develop thought and action strategies to help move remain engaged. Word Study - We will be working with the long i spelling patterns. Grammar - We will be learning about subject and predicate parts of the sentence. |