Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone has a joyous and restful Christmas break. It is important to keep students reading, and since we are reading historical fiction books in class right now, each student needs to choose a historical fiction book of their own that they should have read by January 7. They also have a "flip book" report that they need to fill out and turn in. Many students have already chosen a book from the classroom library, and the Chicago Public Library is also a great resource!

December 6, 2010

Thank you to everyone who helped to make the Christmas concert a success! The students sounded (and looked) beautiful.

As we prepare for the coming of Jesus in this Advent season, please remember to make this a special time with your child, and emphasize the importance of the birth of Jesus and not just presents. Here in class, we are making a Jesse tree to trace Jesus's ancestry. Every student has a story to share and a symbol to create, and we end each day with one of these stories. We are also beginning each week with a school-wide prayer service.

In science class, we have begun our unit on the weather. Students made barometers (to measure air pressure), wind vanes, and anemometers (to measure wind speed), which they use every day to take measurements. At the end of the month, we'll have a test on the weather, and students will have to use these tools to create a forecast.

We have a test on Tuesday on maps, the weather test next week (either the Thursday or Friday), and a nouns test next week (either Wednesday or Thursday).

November 19, 2010

Above are pictures from our trip to the circus and a science activity called "Seed Olympics." We looked at different ways that seeds travel, then students used felt, marshmallows, styrofoam, and feathers to create their own seed. The seeds were tested in three events: floating in the wind, clinging to animal fur, and floating on water. Students tested their seeds on Day 1, observed what worked and what didn't, then redesigned their seed to compete on Day 2. There were many improvements. On the second day, the seeds went 30 cm farther in the wind, clung to the animal fur longer, and many of them are still floating in the water now, three days later! Instead of a test, students are creating their own animal and describing the adaptations it has. This project is due on Tuesday.

We've also finished reading How to Eat Fried Worms. We had to stop reading only five pages from the end because it was time for recess, and I've never heard students want to not go to recess so badly before! They are practicing skits right now to share different scenes from the book with the class. There is a test on Monday on the book, and it would be helpful if they reviewed the vocabulary words from the unit beforehand. The sequence worm is also due on Monday.

Advent is quickly approaching, and with it comes one of my favorite religion projects: creating a Jesse Tree. Each student will be in charge of reading one Bible story, writing a summary, and creating a symbol of that story to share with the class. By doing this, we will trace Jesus' ancestry from Adam and Eve to his birth.

November 7, 2010

Thank you everyone for coming in to conferences! I appreciate having the opportunity to sit down and discuss each student's progress and goals for the upcoming quarter. As always, if any questions arise, please do not hesitate to contact me either through a call, note, or before or after school.

For the last spelling unit, I gave the students two weeks to study and complete activities with the words. As the words have grown more challenging, I am going to continue to do this, so they will have a test every other week. This week, though, the words will be vocabulary words from How to Eat Fried Worms. The students will take a pre-test on Wednesday and write their own list of words down in their assignment notebook. They will then complete spelling contract activities of their choice that week, and the following week will complete sheets from the vocab packet. The test will be on Friday, November 19.



Our Day of the Dead celebration was very successful! The altars looked beautiful, and I know that the students enjoyed sharing their own ofrendas and paragraphs, and looking at the ones created by other students. Our project was featured in the parish bulletin this Sunday, too.

Our art classes, sponsored by Big Shoulders, have sadly come to an end. The students' projects look wonderful, and they will be bringing them home soon to show you (as soon as I'm done displaying them for the rest of the school to see).

Upcoming tests

As our social studies and science units draw to a close, we have several tests coming up. The science test is this Thursday, on habitats and food webs, and the social studies test is next Monday, on the economy and government of the United States.

Thank you to everyone who has sent in money for the postcard stamps! The postcards I ordered have arrived, and the students are busy addressing and mailing them. The images on front are a picture of the class, the block the school is on, the statue in Logan Square, and downtown Chicago.

We also began today to work on the paragraph honoring a loved one for Day of the Dead. The students seem to have learned a lot about their relatives already. Just a reminder that the shoeboxes need to be brought to school by October 28th, when the students will have time in class to begin decorating them. They will also have class time to work on the ofrendas that Friday, and they must be completed by November 1st.

Lots of pictures!

We took a trip to the Art Institute. We got a tour of pieces that came from Mexico and were made by the Aztecs, including murals, elaborate incense burners, and the faces of many of their gods. Afterwards, Mr. E led the third and fourth graders in continuing to create their own symbols for a codex. After lunch, we went to Millennium Park to enjoy what might be one of the last nice days this year!



Here's our class at the beginning of the year, looking at shark teeth.



Also at the beginning of the year, making slider cars and working with creating charts and manipulating variables.



Two buddy activities we've done: making flowers for Grandparents' Day and using our senses on a nature walk.

September 30, 2010

While looking at resources on-line, I found a fun, interactive website about habitats. On this website, students draw a habitat for an imaginary animal, trying to meet the needs that are listed. The link is here.

Thank you to those who have donated stamps and postcards! We have already received what will hopefully be the first of many postcards from other schools, and this one was from another city in Illinois! We will begin writing them and sending ours out at the beginning of the week.

There has been a slight change of plans with the Art Institute field trip next week. The docents and instructors requested that we come an hour earlier, so we will be leaving at 8:10 on Wednesday, October 6th. Please be sure your child is not late!

The students have several projects coming up in the next few weeks. On Monday, their habitat project is due. This should either be a diorama or a poster describing the habitat of a specific animal, with a paragraph attached explaining how the habitat meets the needs of the animal and a chart listing the living and non-living things in the environment. The following Tuesday (October 12th), their business plan is due. This integrates what we have been learning about economy in social studies with an imaginary business students are creating. The students will also have spelling tests the next two Fridays, since we do have full weeks of school.

September 14, 2010

We are very fortunate to have many guest speakers this year. For approximately the next eight weeks, Officer Medina is coming in every Monday morning to share the GREAT program with the fourth graders. GREAT stands for Gang Resistance Education and Training. He is a very engaging speaker, and teaches through many role playing scenarios. He talks about bullying and ways to say no safely. Beginning next week, we will also have a guest coming from the Art Institute. He will be teaching lessons using the Art Institute's new exhibit Ballplayers, Gods, and Rainmaker Kings: Masterpieces from Ancient Mexico. The students will take a field trip to the Art Institute to view the exhibit on October 6th. Both the classes and the field trip are being sponsored by Big Shoulders. Finally, our new parish priest Fr. Elbio will be teaching weekly religion lessons throughout the year. He will bring much new knowledge and expertise into the classroom!

In the week ahead, as our social studies and science units conclude, there will be quite a few tests. The social studies test is on Monday, and the science test is on Wednesday. I have given the students a study guide to fill out, which will be due a few days before the test. The tests follow the study guide very closely, so filling it out is not only a good way to study, but it will also provide a resource for students to study from. If the study guide is filled out by the assigned date, students can participate in a review game where we will go over the correct answers together. Because of the tests next week and the shorter week, there will be no spelling test the week of September 20th.

New School Year

Welcome to the start of a new school year! After a week of teaching with this class, I'm very excited about the upcoming year. There are many talented students in this class who are enthusiastic about lots of different subjects.

We spent the first week of school going over rules, expectations, and routines. I only have three rules for the class: respect others, respect the classroom, and always try your best. Students also became used to our morning and dismissal routines.

One of my goals for the year is to have a class of writers and readers. We're starting off the school year doing independent reading, which means students are each reading their own book while I have one-on-one conferences. They've learned how to pick out a book that's at their own level and soon they will begin writing response letters to me. In writing, everyone has made and begun to write in their writer's notebooks. We are also going through the steps of the writing process.

Science began with experiments using slider cars, where students had to manipulate variables to make their "car" go a certain length. This week is Shark Week! Students studied and classified different types of shark teeth, and will identify what shark they came from and how the size of the shark compares to the size of the tooth. In social studies, we are getting an overview of the country and its regions, starting with geography and natural resources, and in religion, we are learning about the covenant before beginning the Ten Commandments.

Spelling also begun this week, which means they have a test on Friday. They need to know how to spell the words and their definitions. Unless the week is shorter than normal or we are doing a review unit, students will have a spelling test every Friday.

Cubs Game, Art Institute, and Earth Day Buddy Activity Pictures

Science Fair Pictures

The science fair last week was a huge success! We had projects ranging from the types of food worms like to eat, creating motors and solar heaters, extracting DNA from strawberries, to testing the use of fins on submarines. Students had a chance to show off their hard work on Thursday to the judges and the rest of the school, and on Friday we went to see the middle schoolers' projects. Everyone worked extremely hard, and they did a good job of presenting their work to others. The judges also chose three winners in each grade. Ours were Isaac, Jovany, and the team of Mason and Christopher. Congratulations!

It's already halfway through the final quarter and progress reports are coming out next week! We also have a test on adverbs, prepositions, and negatives this Friday, and a test on the Midwest next Tuesday. Students are currently reading The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket (and really enjoying it), and their final project on the book, a scrapbook which we discussed earlier this week, will be due on May 12.

Science Fair and Cubs Game

We looked at a wonderful web site today that has many ideas for science fair projects. The students had time to explore this after taking an interest survey. To look for more ideas, or to look at directions at an experiment they found, go here:

Science Buddies

Click on "Topic Selection Wizard" to take the interest survey for project suggestions, or click on "Science Fair Project Ideas Directory" to browse ideas by subject area. If the student remembers the name of a project he or she liked, he or she can also enter it into the search bar.

We will be going to the Cubs game this Wednesday, with grades 1-6. We will leave school at 11:30, after eating lunch, and get to the stadium in time to get settled and buy snacks before the game begins. Students should wear their gym uniform, and must wear a warm coat. They can always take the coat off if they get hot, but we will be sitting in the shade for several hours, and it is much easier to take a coat off if they are hot than to make one materialize if they get cold. They can bring money for snacks, a camera, and a cell phone (for emergencies only), but they are responsible for making sure it does not break or get lost. They may not bring any bags with them. We will stop at the classroom to pick up bookbags before we leave, and we should be back at school, ready for the kids to get picked up, at 4:20.

Museum of Science and Industry

The third and fourth grade recently went on a field trip to the Museum of Science and Industry. Both classes participated in a learning lab, where they became forensic scientists to discover who stole the invisibility device. They dusted for fingerprints, tested powders, and looked at the chromatography of ink to solve the crime. They also got the chance to see the museum's brand new exhibit: Science Storms. This hands-on exhibit showed students how physics elements affect the weather, natural disasters, and energy.

The rooms that students wired with their circuits were a big success! Photos can be seen above.

In the short week we have before break, students will have a social studies test Tuesday and a spelling test on Wednesday. I also sent home last Friday a letter about the science fair, which will be held April 29 and 30. Please refer to that for my expectations and to begin thinking of ideas.

March 5, 2010

Thank you for all of your support during TerraNova testing! We have one more test, math, on Monday.

We had a great visit today from a very energetic man from the Anti-Cruelty Society. He discussed how their mission was not only to help animals, but also to educate those who are ignorant about who to treat animals. He also went over a brief history of the anti-cruelty society. We're going to have more guests next week when the school participates in Junior Achievement. We will have volunteers coming to teach next Thursday about business.

Our classroom was very fortunate to have been selected by ComEd and NEED (a program designed to teach people about energy) to participate in a program about energy efficiency. This will be our science unit for the next few weeks. They have provided us with enough materials for each student to receive a kit to help them make their house more energy efficient. These materials will be sent home gradually in the next few weeks. Because the focus is at home, many of the activities will need to be completed for homework. This includes looking at the water heater and natural gas meter, testing the water flow from faucets, and using a CFL light bulb. I know that not all students will be able to complete all of the activities in their homes and apartments, but in order to make this a successful, I hope that you will all be able to help them complete as much as possible.

TerraNova Testing

Next week, students begin the TerraNova testing. They will not have any homework that week so that they can rest while at home. Please help your child to do his or her best by making sure that he or she:
1. Has at least 2 #2 sharpened pencils at school.
2. Eats a good breakfast.
3. Gets at least 8 hours of sleep.
4. Arrives at school on time. This is especially important since we will be starting some of the tests as soon as school begins in the morning in order to finish the section before lunch.
5. Relaxes and reads all the instructions.
6. Brings a healthy snack (fruit, granola bar, carrots, etc).

A note or words of encouragement are also always helpful. Do not stress the importance of this test (I believe that the projects and tests throughout the year are a better reflection of their learning than a single test anyways), but instead reassure them that you know they will do their best and that you believe in them.

In other classroom news, students brought in their finished "circuit rooms" this week. They did a wonderful job with them, and we had a good discussion comparing the different types of circuits that people made. We're also reading Shiloh right now, and will have a guest coming to our classroom next week from the Anti-Cruelty Society to share some stories about pets and abuse next Friday.

February 9, 2010

We had a very eventful Catholic Schools week last week. Monday, the students wore pajamas to school and we had extra time at the end of the day for DEAR (Drop Everything and Read). We also made pancakes as an example of a chemical change. Tuesday was a pep rally to celebrate our sports teams, we made cards with our buddies to give to Catholic Charities, and students came dressed as twins. On Monday, we had several parents visit the classroom, and fourth grade almost won the trivia contest that night! Thursday we had our annual school Olympics, and we ended the week with an all-school Mass and prayer service on Friday. Congratulations to the students who won an award: Joel won the peacemaker award, Javielys for effort, and Delanie won a poetry contest!

In computer class, students have been creating and recording weather forecasts that we wrote in December as part of our weather unit. Several of them can be seen below:
Clarissa's Weather Forecast
Bella's Weather Forecast
Arianna's Weather Forecast
Barbara's Weather Forecast
Christopher's and Wilfredo's Weather Forecasts

Since the spelling words have been getting more challenging, and I feel like students need some more time to practice and study, I am going to start giving the spelling tests every other week. The first week, we will complete the usual work from the book, and the second week, students will have assignments to complete from a spelling contract. Students will also have quizzes in social studies on the location of the states. These will be the first two weeks of any unit.

We will celebrate Valentine's Day this Friday. Students are welcome to bring treats (healthy foods are encouraged) or cards to share with the class. We have another new student, bringing our class total to 21.

January 20, 2010

With the third quarter starting this week, I've been talking with the students about how this is a great chance for them to start over. We've had some issues in the weeks after break with completing homework and doing our best work on assignments, and I'm hoping that once students get into the routine again, the problems stop.

In some very exciting news, a new student started on Tuesday! This brings our class total up to 20.

In reading, we're almost done with the novel Sarah, Plain and Tall. With the book, we have been discussing setting and theme. Next week, the students are going to write a persuasive paragraph about a topic discussed in the book and create a watercolor painting showing the setting. In science, we have made density columns and learned how to measure the volume of a solid using a graduated cylinder. Next, we're going to discuss the difference between chemical and physical changes, as well as do some investigations that show these changes. We were lucky to have Father Jose Maria speak to the class yesterday about important Old Testament figures like Abraham, Noah, Moses, and David, and as soon as we finish learning about David, we're going to continue learning about the Ten Commandments.

Since we're coming to the end of several units, there are some tests coming up. Next week, we will have a reading test and social studies test. I am not sending home a study guide for reading, since the best way to prepare for that is to have read the novel and listened to our discussions. I will give students a study guide for our social studies test on reading maps. The first week of February, we will have a test on verbs in English and on properties of matter in science. Those study guides will be sent home next week.

January 7, 2010

We've had a great start to 2010! The highlight of the week has been seeing everybody's reading projects from The Whipping Boy. We had lots of wonderful castles, plus some posters about rats and a book of similes. Students put a lot of effort into their projects, and they got to teach the third grade about castles when they came over to see the projects.

In reading, we are studying themes. We discusses the theme of The Whipping Boy, a short story from one of Laura Ingall Wilder's books, and next we'll read Sarah, Plain and Tall. The students got their own chance to write a story and find the theme when they drew examples of themes out of a box, then had to write a story that fit that theme.

We've also begun our unit on physical science. We're beginning by discussing properties of matter. Students brought in examples of liquids and solids, and we'll learn how to measure mass, find the volume of liquids and solids, and test to see which objects have the higher density.

In the photos above, you can see pictures of our reading projects and from a recent field trip to see The Nutcracker on Horseback.