Dec.16-20

Great times on Thursday at the Tivoli Theater!

All Aboard the Polar Express!!!

Fun with ELA Stations!

Congratulations to our Straight A's for first trimester!

Spelling -  Mythology Words
We will continue our study of mythological words with an emphasis on allusion in myths. The spelling test for mythology words is scheduled for Friday, 12/20.


Reading - Unit 1 - "Courage" 
We will begin our study of Greek Mythology with a look at the myth of Hercules.  We will also focus on the skill of summarizing. A summary is a shortened version of a story that retells all the important parts of the story in sequence. We will work as a team to summarize the Hercules myth. After winter break,  I will be introducing a mythology project that focuses on personalized learning.


Social Studies - "The Cherokee"
We will continue our study of the Native Americans of the Southeast, The Cherokee. We will take a look at how their culture and traditions began and how they continue to keep them alive in modern times.
An open book/note QUIZ on the Cherokee is scheduled for Wednesday, 12/18. Students should review their textbooks and note-taking sheets to prepare for the quiz.

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)
No new lesson is scheduled for this week. We will finish our discussions and lesson on strong feelings. Remember the objective is for students to be able to describe what triggers their own strong emotions and what happens in their brains and bodies when they experience strong emotions.  Be looking for the purple "Home Link" sheet to come home this week. This will be due on Friday.




Mrs. Spakausky's Math Class -Unit 3-Fractions & Decimals

The unit 3 TEST is scheduled for Thursday, 12/19!

A study guide will come home this week.  Study all Home Connection and Student Book pages that are in Unit 3!

Module 1 Equivalent Fractions
Session 1 Unit 3 Pre-Assessment
Session 2 Fair Shares
Session 3 Fractions & Mixed Numbers
Session 4 If This Is One-Third
Session 5 Egg Carton Fractions
Session 6 Name That Fraction

Module 2-Comparing, Composing & Decomposing Fractions & Mixed Numbers 
Session 1 Exploring Fractions on the Geoboard
Session 2 Last Equation Wins
Session 3 Comparing, Adding & Subtracting Fractions
Session 4 Dozens of Eggs
Session 5 How Many Candy Bars?
Session 6 Racing Fractions

Module 3-Introducing Decimals
Session 1 Introducing Decimal Numbers
Session 2 Comparing Decimal Numbers
Session 3 Thinking About Tenths & Hundredths
Session 4 Decimal More or Less

Module 4-Fractions & Decimals
Session 1 Decimal & Fraction Relationships
Session 2 Fractions & Decimals
Session 3 Ordering Fractions & Decimals on a Number Line
Session 4 Unit 3 Post

Dec. 9-13

Ernie, the Elf, has joined us for the month of December!

Congrats, Sofia for winning the PRIDE! Award 

for the month of November!!!

Coming Up:
12/10 - Early Dismissal - Students dismissed at 11:00
12/12- Polar Express Movie at the Tivoli'
12/18-The bowling field trip for 4th grade
12/23 - 1/3/20 - No School - Winter Break


Spelling -  Mythology Words
This week's list contains words pertaining to Greek Mythology. We will study the definitions of the words as they are used in myths and also look at several myths and their messages. Because this unit has many valuable activities, we will study it for 2 weeks. The spelling test for mythology words is scheduled for Friday, 12/20.

English-
The use of quotation marks will be the focus of English this week.


Reading- Unit 1 Courage - Greek Mythology
The vocabulary QUIZ for the Lou Gehrig story is scheduled for Tuesday, 12/10.  In addition to the vocabulary quiz we will have a comprehension quiz and an extended response related to the Lou Gehrig story.

Next, we will begin our study of Greek Mythology with a look at the myth of Hercules.  We will also focus on the skill of summarizing. A summary is a shortened version of a story that retells all the important parts of the story in sequence. We will work as a team to summarize the Hercules myth. After winter break,  I will be introducing a mythology project that focuses on personalized learning.


Social Studies - "The Cherokee"
We will begin our study of the Native Americans of the Southeast, The Cherokee. We will take a look at how their culture and traditions began and how they continue to keep them alive in modern times.


Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) - Emotion Management
This week I will be introducing the topic of emotion management. We will discuss that when you have strong feelings, it's hard to think clearly and how unmanaged, strong emotions can lead to negative behavior and consequences. The objective is for students to be able to describe what triggers their own strong emotions and what happens in their brains and bodies when they experience strong emotions.

Mrs. Spakausky's Math Class -Unit 3-Fractions & Decimals

Module 1 Equivalent Fractions Students review fraction skills and concepts and extend their understandings to mixed numbers, improper fractions, and more sophisticated strategies for generating equivalent fractions. They begin by exploring a fair-sharing situation in which the idea of fractions as quotients is developed. Then they fold and cut paper strips to model and investigate the relationship between mixed numbers and improper fractions. During the last two sessions in the module, students model and investigate equivalent fractions in a very different context—eggs in a carton.
Session 1 Unit 3 Pre-Assessment
Session 2 Fair Shares
Session 3 Fractions & Mixed Numbers
Session 4 If This Is One-Third
Session 5 Egg Carton Fractions 
Session 6 Name That Fraction

Module 2-Comparing, Composing & Decomposing Fractions & Mixed Numbers 
Session 1 Exploring Fractions on the Geoboard Module 2 Comparing, Composing & Decomposing Fractions & Mixed Numbers 
In this module, the geoboard is assigned a value of 1. Students name fractional parts of the geoboard and describe the parts’ relationships to one another. Their observations are then extended into comparing fractions with unlike numerators and denominators, and adding fractions with like denominators. The last three sessions feature an extended problem-solving opportunity followed by a math forum, as well as two new Work Places that provide practice with composing and decomposing fractions.
Session 2 Last Equation Wins 
Session 3 Comparing, Adding & Subtracting Fractions
Session 4 Dozens of Eggs
Session 5 How Many Candy Bars?
Session 6 Racing Fractions

Module 3-Introducing Decimals
In this module, the base ten mat is assigned a value of 1. Students determine that the strip and the unit are worth 1/10 and 1/100 respectively, and are introduced to the decimal notation for these fractions. The base ten pieces serve as a visual anchor as students compare decimal numbers and investigate the relationship between tenths and hundredths. During the last two sessions, the teacher introduces two new Work Places to provide practice with adding tenths and hundredths, as well as building and comparing fractions. There is a checkpoint on fractions and decimals at the end of the module.
Session 1 Introducing Decimal Numbers
Session 2 Comparing Decimal Numbers
Session 3 Thinking About Tenths & Hundredths
Session 4 Decimal More or Less

Module 4-Fractions & Decimals
The activities in this module, including another new Work Place, reinforce the relationship between decimals and fractions with denominators 10 and 100. Students are also invited to investigate the connection between decimals and other common fractions, including halves, fourths, fifths, and twentieths. The module concludes with a unit post-assessment.
Session 1 Decimal & Fraction Relationships
Session 2 Fractions & Decimals
Session 3 Ordering Fractions & Decimals on a Number Line
Session 4 Unit 3 Post

Working on Dividing "Candy Bars" into 3/4!