March 12, 2012

We only have two more days of TerraNova testing left (today and Wednesday). Please continue to make sure that your child gets a good night's sleep and eats a healthy breakfast before arriving at school.



We just finished our many activities for How to Eat Fried Worms. Students performed a reader's theater version of the play for the class and Mr. Bennett, created a new cover for the book, watched the movie to compare it to the book, and, as a grand finale, got to eat fried worms! The brave students who tried the worms decided they liked them, and several even brought them home for their lucky parents to try.

Currently in reading, students are participating in literature circles. Each student chose their top three book choices, and then I placed them in groups based on the books they wanted to read. Students are in charge of setting their own schedule for the book, assigning jobs to complete, and leading their own discussion about the book. Every student has a schedule for his or her book on a piece of yellow paper, and please be diligent about following this, since every group will have different pages due each day. We had our first literature circle meetings last Thursday, and students did a great job of participating, asking thought provoking questions, and staying on topic!

In social studies, we are studying the Midwest. We will take the second part of our states test next week, which means that test will be on Friday, March 23. Each student will also complete a state project. I have state books in my classroom, but if the student wanted to research a state I did not have a book for, they will need to find a book at the library and show it to me by Friday. The students received a menu with activities to choose from, and they need to choose three. These will be due the week of April 2nd (the last week before Easter).

Practices for our play are going great! Remember that the play is on Thursday, March 29. We will be sending information home soon asking for volunteers to help on March 21 with making costumes and creating the set.

Lent and TerraNovas

We are about to enter into two very important times in our school year: Lent and TerraNovas!

For Lent, we made a calendar as a class with daily goals relating to prayer, fasting, and acts of kindness that also relate to the Ten Commandments. For example, right now we are looking at the second commandment, "Do not take the Lord's name in vain," which emphasizes the importance of the words we use, so today students need to pay a compliment and tomorrow pray for the people they love. Other activities include going to Mass, reading the Bible, giving up TV and video games, and donating items to the drive we are currently having to collect items for the women's center, for women who are pregnant.

TerraNovas are also about to begin. Our first day of testing will be Tuesday, March 6, and we will test through Wednesday of the following week. Please make sure your child arrives on time for school, having eaten a good breakfast and gotten plenty of sleep, with two sharpened #2 pencils. During this time, we will take a snack break in the morning, so students may bring a healthy snack such as fruit, carrots, or granola bars.

We also have begun practicing for our school play! I am very excited, that for the first time ever, the third and fourth grade will be performing in a musical about the history of the United States. The play will be the evening of Thursday, March 29. Feel free to invite friends and family! We will be practicing in school, but it is important for students, especially those with speaking parts, to practice at home, too.

Finally, congratulations to Abby and Destiny! They were received first and third place, respectively, in a city-wide contest for fourth graders held by the Chicago History Museum to write about DuSable, the founder of Chicago. Great work!

February 10, 2012

Our weather forecast podcasts are here! Students have finished recording them, and they are being posted on-line.


Students have several tests coming up. Their religion test on the Old Testament will be Wednesday, February 15. The social studies test on the Southeast is Tuesday, February 21, and this will also be the day that their poster is due. The English test will be on Thursday, February 23.

Catholic Schools Week

We've had a great Catholic schools week so far! I was amazed by the quality of posters that the students turned in, and touched by all the great things they had to say about the school. Thank you also to everybody who sent in the delicious food for the teacher luncheon! The students enjoyed reading with their blankets and pillows on Monday, and we made heart shaped Valentine card holders with our buddies yesterday. Don't forget that tomorrow students are wearing red to match with our buddy class, and all families are invited to visit school between 8:30-11:45. We will be going to an all-school Mass, attending the awards ceremony, then completing a fun social studies activity. Afterwards, the students have lunch from 11-11:45. Friday is spirit day, and we will have the whole school Olympics. Students should be in their gym uniforms.

While we learn about the Northeast in social studies, students are making a scrapbook poster to show different features of the region. This will be due the week of the test (probably in about 2 and a half weeks). One of the things they need to include is a picture from the Library of Congress. We went to the computer lab last week to print them, but some students were not able to finish in time. Here is the link in case they'd like to print them from home: Library of Congress: Explore the States.

January 17, 2012

Free photo collage made with Smilebox

Free photo collage created with Smilebox

We've had a very creative year so far! Students brought in their Whipping Boy projects, and they look fabulous. We've gotten many compliments on how hard the students worked on them. Currently, we're displaying them in the hallway by the stairs so that everyone can admire them.


Last week, we worked with our buddies on creating cards to celebrate Three Kings Day. The students did a great job of teaching the four year olds how to create prints!


We've also been doing a lot of writing lately. Students finished their "Cures for a Rainy Afternoon" poems, that used exciting and interesting verbs. Right now, we're working on persuasive paragraphs, while continuing to learn about how to use verbs correctly in grammar.




Looking ahead, we have tests next week in science and English. The science test on Wednesday will be on the properties of matter, and the English test on Thursday will be on verbs. We are also taking a field trip to the Museum of Science and Industry next Friday, and Scholastic book orders are due on Monday, Jan. 23. If you'd like to order online, our class code is GWZT3.

Scholastic Book Clubs

The following week is Catholic Schools Week. The plan is as follows:

Sunday 1/29: Community of Faith
11:30 Mass at St. Sylvester Church

Monday 1/30: Learning is Fun
Prayer Service at 9:00
Dress down - Students can dress down in their pajamas
Students can bring in pillows and blankets for this DEAR time

Tuesday 1/31: Teamwork
Dress down – Students can wear articles of clothing from their favorite sports team
Classroom buddy activities
Posters for school-wide contest due (This will be gone over in class next week.)

Wednesday 2/1: Staff Appreciation
Dress – Students wear their regular school uniforms
Luncheon for teachers and aides – provided by families’ donated food

Thursday 2/2: Family Appreciation
8:30 all-school Mass
Dress down – Students wear matching colors with their buddy classes. We are wearing red.
Family Visitation – all family members are welcome to visit their children’s classrooms between from 8:20-11:45
Midway Point Awards Ceremony – in school’s basement gym after returning from Mass
Family trivia night at 6:00 in Schwinn Hall

Friday 2/3: Student Appreciation
Dress down – all students wear their gym uniforms
School Olympics at 9:00 – all students are placed on different, multi-grade level teams and compete in fun games throughout the entire morning

Picture Extravaganza!

Here are some pictures from December:

Performing at the Christmas concert:


Students using the tools we made to take their weather measurements.


Our completed art projects with Mr. E:

January 4, 2012

Welcome back to a brand new year! I hope everybody and a joyful and relaxing Christmas. We've been off to a great start in fourth grade. Students are learning about verbs in English and writing poems called "Cures for a Rainy Afternoon." In religion, we're practicing looking up verses in the Bible and summarizing while learning the story of Joseph. We're continuing to read The Whipping Boy while discussing similes and cause and effect. (Don't forget the projects are due this Monday! Some have already been brought in and look wonderful.) In science, we began our study of the physical sciences, which will take us to almost the end of the year. Currently, we're learning about matter, the properties of matter, and how to measure it.

In social studies, we are continuing to learn about the Northeast while students work on their ABC books. They will have a quiz on Friday and will need to know the locations of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware, and Maryland.

December 12, 2011

Today, I went over the projects we will be completing connected with the Whipping Boy. Students need to choose one, and they should either research and create a poster about rats, create a simile book, or make a castle. Below are some links that students may find helpful in researching the castle:

Castles for Kids
National Geographic: Ghosts in the Castle

My hope is for this to be done over Christmas break, so that students can continue learning while away from school. However, I understand if travel plans make this impossible, so the project will not be due until Monday, January 9. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at school.

December 7, 2011

Thank you for everyone's flexibility with the unexpected school closing and the rescheduling of the Christmas concert! The students have been practicing hard and everyone is excited for the concert this Sunday at 4:00.

We have a spelling test on Friday of this week, and a states test on Monday. Now that we have begun studying the individual regions of the United States, the students will be expected to know the states in that region. They received a blank map yesterday and filled in the names of the five states they need to know for Monday's test (Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island). They may not use abbreviations, but spelling will not count.

We are also getting close to being done with our units on nouns in English and weather in science, so those tests will be next Thursday and Friday. Study guides will go home tomorrow. In science, students have especially enjoyed using their instruments to measure the weather. We made anemometers, barometers, and wind vanes in class, and students have been using these, plus thermometers, to take daily measurements. Next week, the students will become meteorologists and use these tools to create their own weather forecast.

In reading, we have begun reading The Whipping Boy as a class. One of the main characters is a prince who is not allowed to be punished, so his "whipping boy" is punished in his place. We had an interesting discussion yesterday about what you would do if you could do anything you want and not get punished, and then who would act differently if they knew one of their classmates would be punished in their place. Students will also complete a project associated with this book where one of the options is creating a castle. Instructions on that will be sent home next week.

In preparation for Advent, the students have been creating a Jesse tree. So far, we've heard the stories of creation, Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses. The students have done a great job summarizing the stories and creating symbols for the tree. Be sure to ask them at home what they've learned!

Happy Thanksgiving!

The students did a great job leading a Thanksgiving prayer service today for the school. We have had so much to be thankful for this year, from the great field trips, to the chance to learn about art with Mr. E, to Ms. Zangrilli being part of our classroom. Below, you can see photos from our circus field trip and the students critiquing and evaluating each other's prints.

November 14, 2011

It's hard to believe, but Mrs. Zangrilli's time with us is almost done! Her last day of student teaching will be next Tuesday, November 22. It's been great to have her in the classroom, with all the enthusiasm, hard-work, creativity, and compassion she brings. I know we will all be sad to see her go!

The Christmas concert is also quickly approaching, and will be on December 4. The fourth grade are singing two songs, Angels We Have Heard on High and Campana Sobre Campana, and playing the recorder on The First Noel. Please be sure the students are practicing at home, especially the recorder song, since this is the first time they've played this instrument.

We will have tests in math on Thursday, November 17, on reading maps in social studies on Tuesday, November 22 and on adaptations on Monday, November 21. The study guides for science and social studies are being sent home today. We also will have a spelling test before Thanksgiving break.

Thank you for all the food that has been brought in for the food drive! The students went to the food bank last week to learn how families get food and see where the food they donate goes. We will continue collecting food until November 22.

In reading, students are almost done with their mystery novels. They've done a great job identifying clues and suspects, and even red herrings! They are working on writing a journal this week from the perspective of one of the characters in their novel. After Christmas, we're going to read several historical fiction books, starting with The Whipping Boy. In writing, students are almost done publishing their fiction stories, which have included descriptive language like similes and personification.

Finally, in religion, students will begin creating a Jesse Tree for Advent next week. This is one of my favorite projects of the year. While creating the Jess Tree, we will trace the genealogy of Jesus in the Old Testament and tell the nativity story. Traditionally told through focusing on one person each day through the four weeks of Advent, we will tell it in school by reading aloud and having the students each present one person in Jesus' family tree. Students will be responsible for reading the Bible verses, summarizing them, and creating a symbol for their person or story. Some of the stories can be hard to understand due to the language the Bible is written in, and if students are having trouble, they are welcome to come to me for help in the days before their story is due.

November 1, 2011

The students had a great time learning about the Day of the Dead this month, and their finished ofrendas look wonderful. The students have been sharing their stories and ofrendas with each other the past two days, and the third grade is coming tomorrow to see them. We also enjoyed Day of the Dead bread which Priscila brought in to share, and we participated in a prayer service with the whole school on Monday.

The third quarter ended on Friday, and report card conferences will be this Sunday, November 6. Please be on time for your conference, especially if you are meeting between 10-12. Due to the popularity of certain times, if you are late and there are other parents scheduled to meet immediately after you, I will either have to hold a very quick conference (if time allows) or you will have to come back later in the day.

Hispanic Heritage Month

St. Sylvester School celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month by learning about different countries where Spanish is spoken. The fourth grade focused on Colombia and created a movie about its government, culture, religion, climate, and food. A huge thanks goes out to Ms. Zangrilli who directed and edited the movie! The first through third grade classes then visited out classroom to learn about Colombia, while the fourth grade class went to their classes to learn about Chile, Peru, and Guatemala, making worry dolls and listening to podcasts. Mr. Hurley also shared a special presentation in the Spanish room.



The students really enjoyed the the field trip last week to the National Museum of Mexican Art. We saw many ofrendas and learned about the types of items typically displayed, as well as learning about sugar skulls and skeletons. The students should have turned in their interviews today for our own Day of the Dead project. They will begin writing paragraphs about the person they are honoring next week, and will begin building their ofrendas at the end of the month.

We are about to begin new reading groups focusing on mysteries. Students will get their new novels next week. In science, students are learning about energy in ecosystems, and in social studies, we're learning about economy and government. This was perfect timing since the students also elected a classroom representative! On Wednesday, students also received their own Bible at the Bible ceremony, which we will be learning to use throughout the year.

September 28, 2011

We had a lot of fun at the Cubs game last week! Thank you to Mr. Jim, who provided the tickets, and Mr. Torres, who bought a souvenir for everyone.



Students did much better on the science test than on the social studies test. The extra studying the students said they did paid off! Please remember that I give the study guides to the students at least a week in advance so that they have lots of time to review and ask me questions if they don't understand something. We have an English test next week, October 6, on sentences.

On Friday, October 7, we will be going to the National Museum of Mexican Art to view their Day of the Dead exhibit. I will also be sending home information next week on the fourth grade Day of the Dead project. Students will need to interview two people about a person in their family who has passed away, and they need a shoebox by the end of the month in order to build an ofrenda.

Our art lessons with Mr. E have also begun! Mr. E is an artist who works with the Art Institute to teach classes at schools. He is working with grades 4, 5, 6, and 8 this year. The students analyzed a painting called "Distant View of Niagara Falls" and discussed how to interpret paintings.

Mrs. Z has has been doing a great job working with the students in science, math, and social studies! In science, the students began a unit on ecosystems, and in social studies, they are learning about economics, with lots of hands-on activities and games. In reading, they are doing guided reading groups where each group has a different novel to read. Students may need to do some reading at home to make sure that they are prepared for our meetings.

September 12, 2011

Last week, we had the opportunity to meet our buddies in Mrs. K.'s preschool-4 classroom and make pinch pots with them. The fourth graders did a great job helping their buddies and being good role models.



Today in reading, we discussed the events of September 11, 2001 through reading an article in the Scholastic newspaper and sharing responses of adults who remembered where they were at the time of these attacks. We discussed how we need to remember this tragic event to honor the brave people who died and ensure that this never happens again by promoting peace in our world.

We are at the end of our first social studies and math units, so those tests are this week. Math will be this Wednesday, and social studies will be this Friday. The study guide for the social studies test was sent home last Friday. Students should fill out the answers and definitions by using their book, then spend 15-20 minutes every night reviewing the information by rereading the study guide or answering questions asked by a study partner. We are almost done with science, and that test will most likely be at the end of next week.

We also have a field trip coming up! We are going to the Cubs game on Wednesday, September 21. Since the game is in the afternoon, students will arrive back at school at 4:30 and should be picked up then.

Quite a few students these past two weeks have had missing homework. Please make sure that your child has a set time and place to do their homework, that assignments are crossed off of the homework notebook as they get done, and that all assignments are then placed in their red homework folder and sent back to school. Thank you!

August 30, 2011

The fourth grade is off to a great start this year! We've already classified shark teeth in science, talked about genres in reading, looked at different books for inspiration for writer's notebooks, and learned many of the routines students will need to follow throughout the year. We also began our first spelling unit, which will end with a test next Friday on September 9. (Spelling tests will be every other week.)

Students also met two people who will play an important part of this school year. Mr. Hugo is a seminarian who is studying to be a priest, and he will be teaching religion classes once a week. We also welcomed Ms. Amy Zangrili who is a student-teacher this year. She will be with us until mid-November, and brings a strong background in art and electronics which she will incorporate into the lessons she teaches.

Below, you can see pictures of students reading, feeding the worms in our worm bin, and looking at the shark teeth.

August 16, 2011

Welcome to a new school year!

As we progress through the year, I will be posting pictures and entries about activities we do in class, as well as information about upcoming tests and field trips. Right now, please feel free to look at previous entries so that you can see some examples for our projects, experiments, and other activities.

June 9, 2011

Thank you everyone for making this such a great year! I will definitely miss this class, from the awesome writers to meticulous scientists, from the engaging readers to those who truly tried to follow Jesus. Many students fit into all of those categories! I hope everyone has a safe and fun summer, and come back to school ready to be middle schoolers!

May 19, 2011

The science fair last week was a great success! The students did a wonderful job of explaining their projects, and it was interesting to see all the topics they'd chosen, including catapults, rock candy, and video games. Congratulations to our fourth grade winners: Kevin and Nicholas, Robert, and Victor.

Congratulations as well to Ismael and Chelsea, whose essays about freedom came in first and second place, respectively, for the VFW contest.





Students are currently working on literature circles in reading class. Books they've chosen to read include Tiger Rising, Shiloh, Who Stole the Wizard of Oz? and Edgar Allen's Official Crime Investigation Notebook. They've also been working on writing a research paper. The fourth graders learned how to take notes and write a bibliography, organize their notes into an outline, and are now drafting their papers.

Upcoming tests include spelling, which will be this Friday, and social studies, which will be next Wednesday.

May 5, 2011

Happy Easter everyone! Even though Easter Sunday has passed, we continue to celebrate this season in the Church until Pentecost.

The science fair is quickly approaching. The students have had many great ideas, and have had time to work in the class on their presentations. The projects are due into school this Wednesday, on Thursday evening families are invited from 5:30-7:30 to come and view everybody's projects, and on Friday the fourth grade will be sharing their projects with the rest of the school and the judges.

In writing, we've begun working on research projects. The students learned how to find the information needed to write a bibliography, chose a "just the right size" topic, and are currently researching their topics and taking notes. Next week, we'll begin to outline and draft the papers.

Students are also working on creating scrapbooks for characters from The Bad Beginning, one of our most popular books. Many students have chosen to keep on reading books in the series. They had time in class to work on the scrapbook yesterday and today, and will have time tomorrow. To give students enough time to complete these and the science fair projects, these will not be due until May 16.

We're going to the Cubs game tomorrow! Since it is still a bit chilly outside, and we may be sitting in the shade the whole time, please make sure your child wears warm clothes. We will eat lunch in school before we leave, but students are welcome to bring money for snacks. They may bring cameras, as long as they can be responsible for them and hold them the whole time.