Welcome Back!

Hi Everyone!

It has been a while since my last post and we have been very busy! I hope you all had a great break. The kids have come back with renewed enthusiasm and have been very chatty. It may be a good time to review appropriate school behavior expectations with your child. We have had such a wonderful year and I do not want to see this chatty behavior interfere with our progress. Thank you in advance for helping out with this.

Here's the update from Room 5:

Understanding Our Differences: The entire fourth grade participated in this special program where we learned about the strengths and weaknesses that we all have. The children experienced a variety of activities coordinated by Mrs Barooshian and several other parent volunteers. Thank you for making this such a meaningful experience for us!

Mirror Boxes

It's tough to write with the Mirror Box!

Do you know which item is missing?

Story Time...with a twist!

Valentine's Day: We had a love-ly time passing out notes and creating Valentine bags on February 14th. Thank you to all who supplied the crafty goodies and stickers. Thank you to Mrs. Ransden for picking up our craft bags to decorate. Thank you also for participating in the "What I Love About You" project. It was a wonderful bulletin board for February.

Mathmatics: We are working our way through decimals. Ask your child about our new math super hero, the "Phantom Zero" and how he can help you to compare decimals.

Science: Unusual Bird Projects are due Friday. We have had many class periods devoted to this project and the work must be finished by Friday. We will be moving on to animal groups and animal adaptations in the coming weeks. Ask your child if they know what the word adaptation means and if they can give you an example of one.

Introducing the Grassy Ground Pecker and...

the never before seen Bubble Gum Bird and...

the newly discovered Congo Bird!

Social Studies: We are wrapping up the Middle West Region and will be having a test at the end of next week. Look for a study guide in your child's agenda on Friday. (Be sure to review those states and capitals!)

Writing: We have begun formal MCAS Prep for Long Composition and the Reading Component. Mrs. Gardella is visiting us twice a week to share her expertise with Long Composition. We will also be working on how to answer multiple choice and open response questions using old MCAS test items. These are important testing skills that the students will hopefully carry with them for their academic life.

Reading: Yee-haw! It is Tall Tale time! So far we have worked with Paul Bunyan and Old Stormalong. The children did a wonderful job on their hyperbole pictures for Paul Bunyan. Do you remember what a hyperbole is? If not, ask your child to explain it to you. They should know what it means. We also spent some time doing a little reader's theater for Paul Bunyan, which was very fun.

Reader's Theater

Traveling Tidepools: We had a special enrichment program on Wednesday. An instructor named Lucy from the New England Aquarium traveled out to Zeh with many sea creatures in tow. We talked about the sandy beach, the rocky shore, and the salt marsh. We brainstormed a list of animals that we felt should live in each habitat and what adaptations they would need to survive there. Then, we were able to explore the "tanks!" See the pictures below. We saw and touched many creatures! It was a wonderful and educational time for all. Thanks to the PTO for sponsoring it for us!

Read Aloud: We are currently reading a classic by Beverly Cleary called Otis Spofford. Otis is a boy who likes to stir up a little excitement at school. Ask you child about what happened at the Rosemont School Fiesta when Otis was selected to be the bull!


Here is a link to Beverly Cleary's homepage about Otis Spofford. Check it out!


http://www.beverlycleary.com/characters/otis.html

This is the NEW cover (not like my OLD copy at school!)

Project Adventure: This amazing activity in physical education starts next week. Please remember to pack your helmet so that you can participate to class.

Parent Conferences are coming up! Please contact the office if you have forgotten to make an appointment. Conferences are Thursday, March 13th from 1:00-3:00 PM and from 6:00-8:00 PM. These are 10 minute conferences. Please be prompt and plan accordingly.

The Book Fair will also be running at this time.

Well I think that about does it for now. As you can see, we are busy bees in room 5! Have a great rest of the week!

-JoAnne Gorham

Fabulous February!

Hi Everyone!

There may only be a few more weeks until spring, but we have so many miles to go before we sleep in room 5! The February MCAS calendar came home today. It is a slightly different format (looks like the weekend reviews) but still contains one problem a night to be completed at home. The completed packet is due back in school on Monday, March 3rd. These are questions taken directly from past MCAS tests. This is an excellent way to help to prepare the students for the upcoming tests.

Reminder! Tuesday, March 25th is the MCAS Long Composition for 4th grade. There are 2 parts to the test- writing (long composition) and reading (comprehension and open response questions). The 3 days of the Reading MCAS will be completed the week following the Long Composition. If you have any questions about these tests, please let me know.

Here's what is going on with Mrs. Gorham's Gang...

Chorus Concert: It was wonderful! It was nice to see so many families able to attend this special event. The children looked lovely in their "concert dress". Thank you for helping with this. Thank you also to Mrs. Stonebraker for her effort and dedication in preparing our students for their first concert! We look forward to their next performance in May. The next concert will have an evening performance as well. I will let you know the date in a future post.

Valentine's Day: We will be celebrating Valentine's Day on the 14th. Your child received a class list on Monday. If he/she plans to pass out valentines, they must have one for eveyone in the class- teachers are optional. Reminder: We have a "No Food Policy" at Zeh School that includes candy. If you wish to pass out a treat with your valentine, I suggest: pencils, erasers, temporary tattoos, stickers, etc. Both Dollar Tree and Target have decent selections for a low price. We will be decorating valentine bags to hold our cards/loot on Thursday, February 14th at 11:30. Please contact our room parent, Mrs. Ransden, if you have any questions about the activity or wish to help. We are looking for donations of valentine stickers/fun foam/glitter to use to decorate our bags. Thank you in advance for your help with this.

Mathematics: We have our fractions test tomorrow and we will spend the rest of the week completing our "Winter Benchmark" assessments. I will share this data with you at our next scheduled parent conference in March. Our next unit in math will be Decimals and we will start that next week.

Science: We have begun our "Unusual Bird Guide" project. The students are creating their own original bird. They must include specific information on their bird such as: migration, range, nest type, beak type, eggs, voice, habitat, food, enemies, and interesting facts. A sketch of the bird must also be drawn. This is an "in-class" project, but students may need to take work home to finish.

Social Studies: We are just getting started on the Midwest Region and have learned our states and capitals as well as the 5 Great Lakes. HOMES is a mneumonic device that can help you to remember the names of these lakes. Do you remember them? We will have a quiz on the states and capitals next week.

Reading: We have started our unit on Tall Tales and have been working exclusively with Paul Bunyan. One of the most important parts to tall tales is the use of hyperboles or exaggerations. We are making a hyperbole book using just the exaggerations found in Paul Bunyan. Drawing with perspective is another skill we are working on with our illustrations. We will also participate in reader's theater this week for Paul Bunyan.

Listening Centers: Did you know that we have listening centers in room 5? Everyday at D.E.A.R time, 2 groups of students have the opportunity to listen to chapter books on tape. Currently, we are listening to The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks and The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. We rotate the children so that everyone gets to listen to all of the stories. Ask your child what story is there favorite so far this year.

Read-Aloud: We are still reading Poppy. Do you have any idea why Mr. Ocax does not want the mice to move to New House? What might he be afraid of?

Thank you to Justin & Family for sharing their copy of the Matilda DVD. We read Matilda for read-aloud and I promised the children we could watch it before vacation. It was a very enjoyable experience for all! There were many similarities and differences between the book and the movie.

Reminders:

1. 2/12/08-Understanding Our Differences Program.


2. 2/14/08 -Valentine's Day is on a Thursday. Party is at 11:30 am!


3. 2/14/08- PTO Grade Level Coffee at 9:00 am. Please join us!


4. 2/15/08- Last day before Winter Break!


5. 2/18 thru 2/22/08- Winter Break


6. 3/6/08- Northboro Unplugged


7. 3/11 thru 3/13: Scholastic Book Fair


8. 3/13- 11:30 Dismissal for Parent Conferences

I think that is all for now. Thanks for all your help!
-JoAnne

Quick Update

Hi Everyone,




We have been in such a groove, I have forgotten to update our blog.




Here's the scoop in room 5:

Mathematics: We are wrapping up fractions. This week we are working with improper and mixed fractions. Hopefully, your child can explain the difference between them. We will also add and subtract fractions with like denominators. Look for a study guide in your child's agenda this week and a test early next week.



Reading: We are also finishing Love That Dog by Sharon Creech this week. As a culminating activity, we will spend one period this week listening to the book on CD. Ask your child what the significance of the blue car is in the book.




Our next unit is a favorite of mine, Tall Tales! Pecos Bill, Slue Foot Sue and Paul Bunyan will be our new friends!



Social Studies: We had a test on the Southeast Region and will be moving into the Middle West Region. Do you know which state in the Middle West Region looks like a mitten? Do you know the names of the Great Lakes? We'll find out as we continue our journey across the United States.



Science: We are still studying adaptations using birds. We have a few more activities and then we will begin our project which is still a SECRET for right now! We will also dissect owl pellets and watch March of the Penguins.



Writing: We are still working on our Genie/Three Wishes project. Thank you to Mrs. Alessi, Mrs. Johnson, and Mrs. Ransden for volunteering to help out with conferences during writer's workshop. Let me know if you are interested in coming in to help us revise and edit.



Read-Aloud: We finished Matilda by Roald Dahl. It was nice to see how many kids picked up additional books by Roald Dahl this past week. I love when read-alouds inspire students to read new genres & authors! We also did a quick picture book called All About Owls by Jim Arnosky. Today, we started Poppy by Avi. Both books coincide nicely with our science unit.

Reminders:

1. Report Cards went home on Monday. Please call if you have not seen your child's report card.



2. Chorus Concert is on Thursday at 9:10 am. Families are welcome. This is the only time that 4th grade will perform for the Winter Concert. The children need dark bottoms (pants/skirts), dark shoes, and white tops for their concert attire. It looks lovely when everyone participates, but don't forget to pack sneakers as we have phys. ed. in the afternoon! The children can change into comfy clothes after the concert.



3. February 8th, 2008 is PTO's Family Game Night at 6:30 PM. Come out for a good time. I think I may be a "guest caller" for BINGO...and Emma may want to help me work the microphone! I am sure it will be a blast!

That's it for now. I promise to post some new pictures after the concert. We are just "wrapping" a lot of things up and pretty busy...not too much time for pictures.

Have a great week!
-JoAnne

Snow Day?

Hi Everyone!



We had a great full week together. We have been working on many activities. The students are also gearing up for their debut at the Winter Concert on January 31st at 9:10 AM. Parents and families are welcome to attend as the 4th grade ONLY performs at this time. They will perform at the evening Spring Concert in April/May. Please try to make it if you can. The children love to see their families in the audience and it is a wonderful culmination of their efforts since the beginning of the year. Additionally, the children need to be dressed in white shirts and dark bottoms (pants, skirts) for the concert. Information about the concert from Mrs. Stonebraker went home last week.

Thank you to those who were able to return the blog survey that I sent home last week. I will share the information with Mrs. Whitten. It was nice to hear the positive feedback. It seems that most people enjoy the information updates about current curriculum and love to see the pictures. Some ideas including having the students post a message and putting the spelling lists on the blog. If you are not already aware, there is a link to the blog from my page on the Zeh School homepage. This week, the children had an opportunity to explore the blog a bit during computer lab and can show you how to access it from our webpage.

I also forgot in my last post to say thank you for the lovely class gift! I have been using the gift card to shop for some new things for myself including some new sneakers. Thank you also for the many individual gifts that I received. Your generosity is overwhelming and very thoughtful. I am lucky to work with such nice families this year!


Here's the update:


Writer's Workshop: We are making fabulous progress on our Genie/Three Wishes stories. I am pleased to see the children use the stages of the writing process with such ease. Additionally, I am still in need of parent volunteers on Thursdays and Fridays from10:55-11:35. So far, Mrs. Alessi has graciously volunteered to join us on Thursdays. If you are available and interested, please drop me an email.

Science: We are continuing our study of animal adaptations and birds. We watched some videos and learned about variations in beaks and bird feet. Ask your child what a gizzard is? Hopefully, they can tell you. We also did a lab on opposable thumbs. The students completed a few activities (open/close a zipper, shuffle cards, write your name, cut along a line, turn pages in a book, pick up a dime) normally, Next, they had to do the same activities with their thumbs taped down with masking tape. Check out some of the fun photos:

Lauren tries to open/close a zipper without thumbs!

Kaitlin is attempting to cut along a dotted line without thumbs.

Brad is trying to write his name without using his thumbs.

Also, please feel free to check out the updated websites for animal adaptations over on the left side of the page.

Mathematics: The children did a great job on their division test and we have now moved into fractions. We took a quick poll at the launch of the unit and have concluded that some students have fractophobia (Zeh School term for "fear of fractions"). I told them of my own personal horrid history with fractions and how I have made it my "business" to make fractions easy for all to understand. Please have your child come see me if they are struggling. Understanding fractions will help to lay the ground work for success in decimals, our next unit. Next week, we will learn about equivalent fractions, comparing fractions and how Wonder Woman gets involved to help us out!

Reading: Last week we started a new book called Love that Dog by Sharon Creech. So far, there is no mention of any dogs...we are pretty curious, though. This book connects to our study of poetry. Additionally, we worked on choral reading. We used Joyful Noise: Poetry for Two Voices by Paul Fleishman. It was challenging to practice the poems and get the timing just right. Click on the videos below to watch our performances. (I am pleased to say that none of the videos are sideways this week!)

Scott, Anthony, Katie, Caroline and Taylor

Kaitlin, Brad, C.J. and Jake

John, Lauren, Ashley, Hannah, and Alyson

Brenna, Meg, Devin, and Patrick

Rachel and Will

Cait, Rachel, Allyson, and Justin

Read-Aloud: We are reading Matilda by Roald Dahl during snack. We love the characters and are amazed by the Truchbull, the headmistress at Matilda's school. We are waiting to find out what will happen next.

Reminders:

1. Book Order is due on Friday 1/18/08.
2. Monday 1/21/08 - No School for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
3. Tuesday 1/22/08- No School for Students: Professional Development for Teachers
4. Wednesday 1/23/08-Students return (there will be no spelling this short week)

Thank you and have a wonderful week!



-JoAnne

Welcome to 2008!

Hi Everyone!

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful break with family and friends. I had a busy time traveling to family in NY, NJ, and CT. It is always nice to be with family, but the "getting there" part can be a real grind!

Anyway, we are now back in full swing and had a great first week. There were a few mentions of "I miss Mrs. Brush" or "It's strange without Mrs. Brush here". I am glad that they enjoyed working with her last semester. She was a tremendous asset to our classroom community and her presence will be missed.


Let's get to it...here's the update from Room 5:

New Teacher Shower: We hosted a shower for Mrs. Brush and supplied her with all the things we think a new teacher needs. She received so many wonderful gifts. Thank you for your generosity and support with this project.

Winter Carnival: Thanks to all the parents that came in and volunteered to help the 4th graders celebrate the holidays. They were quite creative this year! We mixed up the children and rotated rooms to have the opportunity to participate in 6 different activities such as holiday stories and crafts. It was a wonderful afternoon for all!

Crafts

Holiday Bingo

Crafts

Holiday Stories

More Crafts

Mathematics: We are working on our division skills. We have switched to a Division Mad Minutes test, but will return to Multiplication tests on a "surprise" basis. We need to be prepared! Our Division test was today and we will be moving into fractions next.

Social Studies: We wrapped up the Northeast Region. We have started to explore the Southeast Region. Do you know what states make up the Southeast Region? What is the climate like? What products are grown there? Things to start thinking about...




Science: Mrs. Brush concluded her unit on Matter. Click on the link below to see a short video from our lab on the sound of matter.

We also did a matter lab on sink or float and tried to make aluminum foil boats that could support pennies. Check out Caroline and Ashley's successful boat building skills? (It is sideways. I am still learning about putting videos on blogs...and how to rotate them!)

In January, we will begin a new project to kick off our study of Animal Adaptations. Do you know what animal adaptations are? What makes a bird a bird? We will become experts on birds and the many adaptations that they have.


Reading: We are studying poetry and have been performing some poems in class. We are also playing "I-SPY" and looking to find poetry terms within the poems. We want to know if there is rhythm, how many stanzas, is there poetic license, is there a rhyme pattern, and other terms that we are learning. The children worked in partners and to select a poem to share with the class. They will get to be the teachers. See the photos below.

Writing: The At-Home Writing Project was due on December 20th. Another writing project will be assigned in January. In class, we will begin a new 5 paragraph essay as well. Hint: Start thinking about what you would wish for...




Help Wanted: Do you enjoy working with budding writers? Are you good with grammar? Can you revise and edit? Do you have computer skills/knowledge of MS Word? If you answered yes to any of these questions, than this is the job for you! We are currently seeking parents to assist with Writer's Workshop on Thursdays and Fridays from 10:55-11:35 am. Please send me an email if you are available to help us out on either day.


Indoor Recess Fun: Over break, I bought a microphone for us to use in class. Justin was inspired to bring in his "Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?" game and host his own version at recess. He even brought prizes!

Reminders

1. Please re-stock your child's pencils, highlighters, and gluesticks. If possible, label each item with your child's name.


2. Please label your child's snow gear. Many items are being "relocated" to the Lost & Found on a daily basis. I actually have laundry markers in the classroom, if you would like your child to do it at school.
3. I will be sending out a paper survey regarding the blog this week. Please complete it and return it to school. I will be sharing it with Mrs. Whitten and will be using it to plan the future of our blog. I appreciate your honesty with your answers.
   

Thank you and have a great week!
-JoAnne Gorham