2nd Quarter Already!

Tomorrow begins the 2nd quarter. It is hard to believe we already have completed the 1st quarter!

If you were unable to attend the meeting this evening about our Washington D.C. trip, don't worry! You can send in a note, or contact Mrs. Bower for more information. Email her at bower_b@cneschools.org, or call her at 732-0661 ext. 425. She is our expert coordinator for this trip. If your child is unable to attend the Washington D.C. trip, another choice could be the extended day trip to Camp Campbell Gard. We are planning to go on the Wednesday of the D.C. trip.

This week we will be back to the reading book and reading What Jo Did. Here are some resources we found to go with the story.

• Vocabulary Practice
• Vocabulary Review
• Powerpoint

In science we will continue to learn about measurement. We will focus on weight and capacity this week. Here are some links to some fun activities to help with capacity:

• Which Holds More
• Can You Fill It?
• Weigh It Up
• Your Weight on Other Planets
• Weight and Capacity Video

Remember there is an early release day on Wednesday. Students will be released 2 hours early.

Also, don't forget to order Market Day. This month all the profits go directly to 4th grade! To place your order online, click here. You can pick up the orders at the elementary school on November 6th.

2,000 Steps

On Friday we went to Gauche Park and did some math lessons on estimating. We then got some great exercise and walked 2,000 steps around Gauche Park. It was a great activity and we took the chance to take a great class picture in front of the cabin.

Soggy, but great field trip!

We had a great field trip today to Sycamore Park in Batavia. We reviewed soil and rock formation from 3rd grade. We spent a lot of time talking about erosion and weathering of rock, which we will learn more about later this year in science. We spent time looking for fossils in the creek and many of us found great bryozoans, brachiopods, and crinoids. Although we were a little muddy and soggy, we had a great time!

Meet Flo and Rio

Mrs. Thompson was sucked in at the turtle booth at the Pumpkin Run and bought 2 of the small turtles they were selling. Rio is the lighter green turtle. It is a Rio Grande Red Eared Slider. Flo is darker and is a Florida Red Bellied turtle. The students will be tracking their weight and length changes this year as well as making observations on their changes in appearance.

Although students begin writing paragraphs in second grade, our class needs much work on this skill. In order to write a good paragraph, students must first be able to write in complete sentences. Please encourage your child to always write and speak in complete sentences. Answering a question with, "No, because..." is not a complete sentence.

For more help on paragraph writing, check out the following sites:
Paragraphs: This site has all of the rules in paragraph writing, including grammar skills like punctuation and capitalization.
Paragraph Punch: This site offers one free tutorial that is very helpful.
Descriptive Paragraph: This site tells how to begin each sentence.
Sandwich Chart: This is a graphic organizer to use when writing a paragraph.
How to Write an Apple: This site goes through the writing process step by step.
Writer's Window: This is a fun way to get writing ideas.

In reading this week, we are finishing our unit on Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. Students will be tested on Chapters 6-10 this week.

In science, we will continue working on measurement. We will review measuring length in English units (inches, feet, miles, etc.).

October 1st?!?!?

How is it October already!! It seems like we just started school yesterday! Thankfully, we are all enjoying the cooler weather in class.

We are beginning a measurement unit in science. Today in class we broke down the Ohio 4th grade standard on measurement for science. According to the standard, students should be able to select the appropriate tools and use relevant safety procedures to measure length, weight, volume, temperature and area in metric and English units. This week we began length. Here are some helpful link for our unit:

• The Ruler Game


• Fun Brain Ruler Game


• Measuring Pencils (they use the British spelling of centimetres)


• Interactive Measurement Games


• Measurement Powerpoints

We will finish our measurement unit by estimating and measuring pumpkins. Each student will need to bring in a pumpkin by October 27 for these activities. (The pumpkin should not be bigger or heavier than a fourth grader can carry on the bus.) Our pumpkin science study will coincide with the reading aloud of the book Me and the Pumpkin Queen by Marlane Kennedy who visited our school yesterday.

We are extending our study of Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing for another week or so due to our very interrupted October schedule. For a list of upcoming events, visit the 4th grade calendar.

Remember that we have our first field trip on Wednesday to Sycamore Park. Students need to dress for outdoor weather and wear appropriate walking shoes.