Student Council

STUDENT COUNCIL!      

It’s time to elect our classroom representatives for student council.  

This election is not a popularity contest, and students should only run if they are ready to work hard and attend all meetings as well as participate in all activities decided by student council. 

Class campaigns are during the week of Sept. 16-20. 

If you are interested in running, get more details from Miss Liefer.

More Theme

Stellaluna by  Janell Cannon is another story we read during our study of theme in literacy.
It teaches perseverance.  
Check out this online reading of the book!


Correction... There are two versions of the book Owen and Mzee.  We read the one by Isabella Hatkoff NOT the one by Michelle Y. Glennon.
(Both are books about the unlikely friendship between the two animals.)

Friendship

This week in whole-group reading we have been discussing theme.  

To help us learn more about theme, we've read several popular children's books.

Today one book we read was Owen Mzee by Isabella Hatkoff.
This story has the theme of friendship.
Here's a short video of those two animal friends. Enjoy!


In addition to friendship, other books we've read included themes such as Cooperation, Responsibility, Honesty, and Perseverance.   Ask your child about which books they enjoyed the most!

Letters About Literature

Attention all readers and writers!

Today you received information about a writing contest for young readers.  Be sure to read over both sides of the paper for all the specific details.

The contest theme is to write a personal letter to an author whose work (either fiction or nonfiction) changed your view of the world or yourself.

The deadline is Jan 10, 2014.  So you have time to decide which author you want to write and draft a really terrific letter.

This is an optional activity, but I recommend that all students try entering the contest.  Who knows...you may be the big $ winner!

Good luck!

Drama

Last week in literacy we discussed four types of text structure...
1. Prose (fiction)
2. Nonfiction
3. Poetry
4. Drama

Here are a few pictures of us reading through a few dramas (plays).

We were specifically looking for specific parts in the layout such as the cast of characters, stage directions, dialogue, and the setting.

Fact Triangles

Fact Triangles are Everyday Mathematics' flash cards with a difference. The difference is fact triangles help children learn fact families rather than isolated facts. 
Here's a video for parents explaining more about how the triangles work:

Tonight your fourth grader is bringing home a set of triangles to cut apart and use at home.
Please practice math facts as part of the daily homework routine.

Internet Safety

Technology is everywhere in the world.  Our classroom embraces technology, but also is learning how to use it properly, wisely, and safely.

WEBSITES:
-All the websites posted on our blog and used during school have been previewed by the teacher.
-That being said, be careful navigating around some websites, and be sure to let Miss Liefer know if you see something that doesn't seem right.

BLOG:
-You are reading this right now on our blog.  Miss Liefer is the administrator and moderates all content (pictures, videos, and comments) posted.  
-Remember to post comments anonymously.
-Want to learn more about blogs?  Check out this video:
http://www.brainpop.com/english/writing/blogs/

EDMODO:
-In a nutshell, Edmodo is a free social learning platform that provides a safe way for students and teachers to connect and collaborate.
-This past weekend the students had a "free" weekend to explore the site and post comments on any topic.
-Starting today, the Edmodo discussions will be focused on classroom questions/topics, especially books we are reading in small group reading.
-Similar to the blog, Miss Liefer is the administrator and monitors all posts.  However, unlike a blog ONLY our class is in the Edmodo network.

GOOGLE DRIVE:
-We will begin using this soon! Stay tuned!


A note about using computers safely:
Remember some of the rules Tim and Moby taught us in this video...
http://www.brainpop.com/technology/computersandinternet/onlinesafety/preview.weml


Parents - feel free to check out your child's account at any time.
All their usernames and passwords are available on the first page of the agenda.