Tuesday

Today was the first that i haven't been to DCS since August. I missed being in the classroom with the students, but i used my time to get some of my work done for Calvin. I will be observing in another elementary classroom tomorrow morning before i return to DCS in the afternoon, and i look forward to being back there!

Monday's Activities

Bible- Today Mr. Bird began a new Unit with the students which focuses on the life and times of Saul. Worksheet pg 93-94 is due tomorrow(1 section per person). Bible Memory Verse for this week, due on Friday, it comes from 1 Samuel 16:7b. 
Literacy- Today the students went into our breakout groups once again. We also introduced the spelling activities for the week. Unit 12 Spelling Skills/ Words Test is on Friday, Unit 12 Take-Home is due on Friday. Snapshot story for writing(3/4 page single spaced, 2 pages double spaced) due on Thursday. 
Math- Today we continued our investigation of multiplication. We also worked on rounding numbers to the nearest hundred and then adding them together. MB & SL 5.3 due Wednesday.
Social Studies- Mr. Bird introduced the new lesson through a video about Harriet Tubman. We will look in this unit about Michigan's impact on the Underground Railroad.
Science- We welcomed Ms. Knott's class over to our room as Mr. Bird and Ms. Knott introduced the Animal Project to the students. This will be the main thing that we work on individually for the next two weeks in science. This is something that should primarily be worked on at school.

Friday's Activities

Bible- This morning the students took their Unit 6 Bible Assessment and  Memory Work Quiz. We will begin Unit 7 on Monday which focuses on the reign of Saul in Israel.
Science- Today we finished our discussion of Natural Resources which included Fossil Fuels, Minerals, Forests, Water and Soil. The We finished our brief presentations to the class about these subjects.
Math- Today we continued our investigation of Multiplication of multi-digit numbers. We played a fun multiplication wrestling game that Mr. Bird introduced to the students earlier in the week. The students also worked on MB and SL 5.2 which are due on Monday. 
Social Studies- The students were given time to work with partners on finishing their worksheets from Chapter 4 Lesson 3. The students also worked on a Review Sheet for Chapter 4 that is due on Monday.
The students went to the Christmas Shopper Today and have come home with their gifts in bags. These bags are for you and your family to use to put your recyclable items in and then return to school every once in a while as our school is able to raise money for the items that we collect. 
Have a wonderful weekend!

Thursday's Activities

Bible- Today in their studies of the Bible the students reviewed with Mr. Bird the information they should know about their Unit Quiz tomorrow. The students also have their Unit Memory verse quiz tomorrow which covers 1 Samuel 3:9-10. 
Science- Today in our study of science we watched a video about weathering and erosion together. We also began to talk about the Natural Resources around us that are affected by weathering and erosion. We will continue this tomorrow.
Literacy- Today in our literacy block the students  continued to work on their Non-Fiction projects. Unit 11 Spelling Words/Skills Test is tomorrow. Unit 11 Take-Home is due tomorrow and Unit 11 Skill Sheet(4 activities) is due tomorrow. 
Math- Today the students were introduced to multi-digit multiplication and how to use their knowledge of multiplying by powers of ten and using the partial products method to solve the problems. SL 5.1 is due tomorrow. 
I was gone this afternoon and therefore uncertain what other homework their is or what other activities took place. Please contact Mr. Bird if you have any questions.

Wednesday's Activities

Bible- This morning we continued our locations worksheet from yesterday which summarized the places that the story in 1 Samuel chapters 4-8 travel through. Memory work from 1 Samuel 3:9-10 due Friday. Unit 6 Test Friday. 
Social Studies- The students were given time to work on their worksheet from yesterdays lesson. This worksheet is due on Friday. 
Math- Today in Math we discovered patterns of multiplying powers of 10 and how we can count the zero's in our problem to determine the number of zeros in our answer. MB 5.1 is due tomorrow. SL 5.1 is due Friday.
Science- Today in our short science lesson students were given the opportunity to take portions of their science test from last week that they had missed. They also investigated by reading the impact of wind upon erosion of sand.
Literacy-  In our Literacy block today the students were given time to read to someone, a vital part of the Daily 5 that we have implemented in our classroom. Unit 11 Take-Home and Unit 11 Skill Sheet is due on Friday. Unit 11 Words/Skills Test will be on Friday as well.
November has passed by and we jump into December tomorrow. Please remember to send your children to school with hats and mittens and clothing to keep warm as we continue to play outdoors in our recess times. Thank You!

Tuesday's Activities

Today the students had several "specials" classes including Art and Physical Education. In Art, the students spent their time painting the clay figures that they have been creating in recent Art Classes.
Science- In our study of science today the students and i continued to learn about the impact that water has upon the land. We continued to investigate Erosion and Weathering related to water. We talked about the students experiences at the beach and how sand and other sediments get moved around at the beach very easily.
Bible- In our Bible time today the students worked with Mr. Bird to look through their Text in 1 Samuel to learn about the geography of the land as it related to how the Ark of the Covenant moved throughout the land. Memory Verse from 1 Samuel 3:9-10 & Unit 6 Bible Test on Friday. 
Literacy- In our reading, writing, and working with words time today the students worked on using more showing than telling in their writing. They also worked on their Non-Fiction project in the computer lab as a class.  Unit 11 Take-Home due Friday, Unit 11 Skill Sheet(4) due Friday, Spelling Words/Skills Test Friday.
Math- Today the students took their Unit 4 Math Test. MB 4.11 is due tomorrow!
Social Studies- We continued our study of the Pioneers into the Northwest Territories and Michigan by working towards completing a worksheet that relates to our reading from yesterday.

Monday's Activities

Bible- Today in Bible the students continued to learn about the Life of Samuel and the many important people related to his story. We read about the Ark and the story in 1 Samuel 4-6 which talks about how the Philistines took the Ark. They have a worksheet pages 85-86 which is due tomorrow related to this story. Their memory verse; 1 Samuel 3:9-10 is due on Friday and the students will have their Unit 6 Test on Friday. 
Science-Today we began to learn about Erosion and Weathering and the impact that water can have upon the land. We will continue this investigation tomorrow.
Literacy- Today in our literacy block the students continued to learn about Non-Fiction Books. We also began to look at the difference between Showing and Telling in our writing and how showing provides a better picture for the reader. Take-Home Unit 11 is due Friday, Unit 11 Skill Sheet is due Friday, Unit 11 Spelling Words/Skills Test will be on Friday. 
Math-Today the students reviewed for their Unit 4 Test which will take place tomorrow. Please take your time this evening to study for this if you do anything with your child tonight! MB 4.11 is due on Wednesday. 
Social Studies- Today in our study of Michigan we talked about the Laws and the People in this young land of what was called the Northwest Territory, which Michigan was a part of.

Wednesday's Activities

Today was an activity packed day with our special classes including Physical Education, Library, and Spanish.
Science- Today we checked our knowledge of Trash and Recycling by completing the Unit Test.
Literacy/ Social Studies- Today the students read through their Social Studies Chapter 4 Lesson 2 aloud as a class. They also were given time to select a new Non-Fiction Book and answer a question Mr. Bird had selected for them to write about.
Math- Today in our Math time Mr. Bird continued to review the concept of decimals using the Metric Measuring System and the specific concepts of mm& cm. The students have done an excellent job with this concept so far! We also continued our streak from yesterday by continuing to correct Math Boxes together as a class.
We finished our day together playing a fun game of Jeopardy together as a class!
Enjoy your Thanksgiving Holiday weekend! Lets all be thankful for what God has blessed each and every one of us with! I would like to express my appreciation for the wonderful time that i continue to have here at DCS with your students and with you to further the education of your children! Enjoy the day with family and friends, don't eat to much, and, Go Lions!

Tuesday's Activities

Today we had the wonderful opportunity to have our "Thanksgiving Feast" with our Preschool Buddies! The students all did an excellent job helping their buddies and having fun with them as we enjoyed food together.
Bible- This morning in our study of Samuel, the students had the time in Bible to work with partners to search through the text and find words for a crossword puzzle given the clues provided. 1 Samuel 3:9-10 is due on Friday, Dec 2. The crossword we worked on today is due tomorrow!
Literacy- Today we took our Unit 10 Spelling Words/ Skills Test. We also had our breakout session in which we worked on skills in our small groups.
Science- Today in our science time the students worked together with their project partners to work on and complete the Review worksheet for our Trash and Recycling Unit Test tomorrow!
Math- Today the students and Mr. Bird spent some time catching up on Math Box Corrections. The students also worked along with Mr. Bird on MB 4.9. MB & SL 4.7-4.9 Due tomorrow!
Social Studies- Today the students read with Mr. Bird about the Pioneers who were on their way towards Michigan. We began to understand the importance that they had to the history of Michigan.

Monday's Activities

Bible- Today in our study of Bible the students were introduced to their new memory verse which comes from 1 Samuel 3:9-10 and is due on Friday, Dec. 2.  They began talking about how Naomi was given something that she really wanted, a son.
Literacy- We utilized our literacy time today to continue our investigation of Non-Fiction Books. Mr. Bird also gave the students a crossword puzzle related to the spelling words that the students should know for their Unit 10 Spelling Words/Skills Test tomorrow.
Math- Today we continued Unit 4 about decimals. This lesson focused on estimating, and measuring the length of objects accurately. MB & SL 4.6 are due tomorrow. MB & SL 4.7-4.8 are due on Wednesday. 

 Science- The students were given time to continue working on their "Green Plan" projects.  We will review information from our Trash and Recycling Unit tomorrow and we will have our Unit Test on Wednesday!

Friday's Activities

Our 4th graders did an excellent job with leading chapel this afternoon! We are so proud of them! Thank You to all of the parents that came and joined us! We hope you all have a great weekend!
Bible- The students took their Unit 5 Test today! They also completed their memory verse from Ruth 1:16-17!
Math- Today we expanded our knowledge of decimals into understanding the thousandths place! MB & SL 4.6 due Tuesday, Nov. 22. MB & SL 4.7 due Wednesday, Nov. 23.

Science- The students continued to work on their "Green Plans" for a while today in Science. We will work on these again on Monday and they are due Tuesday. Wednesday, Nov. 23 will be out Trash and Recycling Unit Test.
Social Studies- We didnt have the chance to go through Social studies today due to Chapel preparation. Chapter 4 Lesson 1 Worksheet(in cursive) is due on Tuesday, Nov. 22
Literacy- The students continued to work on Non-Fiction and Informational Books. We also played a spelling game as a class. The students Unit 10 Spelling words/skills Test is Tuesday, Nov. 22. Unit 10 Take-Home is also due Tuesday.
 Have a wonderful weekend!

Thursday's Stack

Today the students had a lot of fun! They enjoyed our Speed Stacking time in the gym. The students did very well and participated and had a lot of fun! We also practiced for our Chapel which will take place tomorrow afternoon. Please wear your DCS Whatever Is shirts tomorrow!
Bible- Today the students reviewed their Unit 5 information related to Ruth. We played Jeopardy as a class. They students also received a review sheet that they can study and the answers went home with them as well. The Unit 5 Test is tomorrow and also the students have their Memory Verse from Ruth 1:16-17 due tomorrow.
Science- Today in science i introduced to the class a project that we will be working on together for the next several class periods. We will be making a product such as a poster or brochure to explain what we have learned related to trash and recycling.
Math- Today we had a shortened time in Math because of our normal computers time. We corrected Math Boxes together as a class and reviewed several important and difficult concepts. MB & SL 4.6 are due on Monday, Nov. 21!
Literacy- Today in literacy the students were introduced to several non-fiction books that they can read. They each selected a book for reading on their own time. The students also participated in their Breakout group sessions in which we continue to work on specific skills with groups of students to guide them in acquired more knowledge and skills related to Literacy. Unit 10 Skills and Words Test is on Tuesday, Nov. 22
Social Studies- We didnt have the opportunity look at our Social Studies today. Unit 4 Lesson 1 Worksheet is due on MONDAY, Nov. 21!
 Please focus on studying for the Bible Unit 5 Test and the Memory Work from Ruth 1:16-17 tonight!

Wednesday's Activities

Bible-Today in Bible we looked at the relationship between Jesus as our Redeemer and Boaz as the Redeemer for Ruth. We looked at passages in the New Testament related to Jesus and his relationship to us as sinners and how he saved us from our sins and redeemed us to help us understand the story of Boaz and Ruth. We also looked at the end of Ruth chapter 4 in the genealogy to understand the importance of Ruth being included in a genealogy. Ruth 1:16-17 due Friday, Unit 5 Test will take place on Friday. 
Social Studies- Today in Social Studies the students had the opportunity to work a little bit their Chapter 4 Lesson 1 worksheet related to the War of 1812. We also used some of this time to practice for our Chapel on Friday. Chapter 4 Lesson 1 Worksheet is due on Friday, Nov. 18.
Literacy- Today in literacy we investigated words that have the "or" sound but can be spelled with the /or/ & /ore/ spelling patterns. We also began our Unit on Non-Fiction Books by discussing several things related to how to read a Non-Fiction book and how it is different from other stories we have read so far this year. Unit 10 Spelling/ Words Test will be taking place on Tuesday, Nov. 22
Math- Today we investigated Banking terms such as Deposit, Withdraw, Balance and Interest. We related these things to our knowledge of adding and subtracting decimals to complete our lesson of practicing adding and subtracting decimals based upon a Bank Account and the transactions taking place. MB & SL 4.5 is due tomorrow, MB & SL 4.6 is due on Friday.
Science- Today we looked at the problem and purposes of packaging. We looked at a couple of videos related to this topic and discussed how we could use Reduce, Reuse and Recycle to limit the problem and utilize the purposes of packaging. Green Colored Recycling Worksheets Due tomorrow! We will have our TRASH AND RECYCLING UNIT TEST ON WEDNESDAY, NOV. 23. 

Tuesday's Adventures!

The students were all very excited about our field trip today and it seemed as if they all enjoyed it as well.
Today the students began in Art and created some figures with clay, they all enjoyed this activity!
Math- Today the students worked with adding and subtracting decimals. The students seemed to have learned a little bit about this topic last year and they did very well with it today. MB & SL 4.4 due tomorrow; MB & SL 4.5 due Thursday.
Literacy- The students completed the Grammar Unit on Verbs by taking a Unit Assessment today. I was very happy with how the class performed on that assessment overall! Great job to all of the students! Mr. Bird introduced the Non- Fiction Unit to the class, and then the class practiced their lines for our skit for Chapel on Friday. We also had breakout groups once again today and that went very well once again!
Science- Today our afternoon was consumed by our field trip to the Kent County Recycling and Education Center. The students seemed to really enjoy this opportunity to learn more about recycling and to see the actual recycling process in action. I have included several pictures from our field trip on the blog today. The Recycling Worksheets that i gave the students yesterday are due on Thursday!
Bible- We did not have a chance to look into our study of Ruth today, but the Memory Verse from Ruth 1:16-17 is due on Friday and also the Unit 5 Test will be on Friday. 


Please come and join us on Friday afternoon for Chapel. If you are not able to come but would still like to see it, you are in luck because i am in charge of recording it with a video camera and the recording will be made available to you!

Monday's Activities

Tomorrow we will be visiting the Kent County Recycling and Education Center, so please have your child wear their "Whatever Is" t-shirt. 
Also Mr. Bird and the class are going to lead the DCS Elementary Chapel on Friday afternoon and it would be great to see you there if you have time!
Bible- Today we continued our discussion of Ruth and Boaz and how they are each used by God. We read through chapters 3 and 4 and studied how Ruth and Boaz connect with one another and the importance of the events in meeting and marrying one another. Ruth 1:16-17 is due on Friday. The students will have their Unit 5 Bible Test on Friday as well. 
Literacy- Today we finished our folktale unit in Literacy by reading the book "Tikki Tikki Tembo" a Chinese Folktale. We also learned of our skills for the week and completed a review guide for our Verbs Grammar Test Tomorrow.  We did some partner reading with one another to practice those skills. This week marks the second week that we will fully be integrating our breakout groups into the Literacy Block and the students have done very well with this! Our Unit 10 Spelling Skills/Words Test will take place Next week Tuesday, November 22. Their Skill sheet is to be done in cursive and they are to do all 6 skills for next week    Tuesday as well. 
Math- Today we studied and practiced estimating with Decimals. The students received a lot of practice because i know that this can be a confusing topic for them. MB & SL 4.3 are due tomorrow. MB & SL 4.4 are due on Wednesday.
Science- Today we continued our study of Recycling by completing some worksheets and looking at some different objects and how they could be recycled, reduced or reused. The students received an assignment that is thinking about finding things that are plastic, metal, and paper at home and showing that they could be recycled. This assignment is due on Thursday. We have our field trip tomorrow afternoon to the Kent County Recycling and Education Center and the students seem very excited for this opportunity!

Thursday's Activities

Bible- We reviewed Ruth 2 and the story of Ruth and Boaz. We looked at the loving and caring characteristics that Ruth and Boaz had in the story. Then we looked into Leviticus and Deuteronomy to preview some of the laws that are important to the story in Ruth 3 that we will study next Monday. The students will have a Unit 5 Assessment on Friday, Nov. 18 and also their Memory verses from Ruth 1:16-17 are due.
Social Studies- The students took their Unit 3 Assessment today about the Explorers. We will begin Unit 4 on Monday.
Science- Today we began our focus on Recycling. We discussed the ways in which we can Reduce, Reuse and Recycle many different things in our own lives and we also discussed the ways that we already do these things.
Literacy- Today we had our third breakout groups session and that has been off to a good start for the students. We are focusing on several different aspects related to reading and literature and writing and working on specific skills with the students. We took our Unit 9 Spelling Words and Skills Test and then worked on contractions with Not.
Math- Today in Math we reviewed and graded several of our Math Boxes together. MB & SL 4.2 is due on Monday, Nov. 14; SL & MB 4.3 is due on Tuesday. 

Wednesday's Activities

Today the students were very energetic and they used that energy as they participated in our activities.
Bible- In Bible today the students learned about The story of Ruth gleaning grain from the field of Boaz. We began to understand how this story shows the true faith of Ruth and how it shows that Ruth and Boaz are true believers and followers of God. Their Bible memory verses come from Ruth 1:16-17 and is due on Friday, Nov. 18. 
Social Studies- Today in Social Studies we spent about 50 minutes reviewing concepts for our Unit 3 Explorers Test which will take place tomorrow. The students seemed to have a good understanding of the Explorers and the important events that happened in Michigan at the time of the explorers and settlers.
Literacy- Today the students reviewed the concept of homophones with the words they're, their and there. The students had to write two sentences fro each of these words. They did well with this activity. Unit 9 Spelling Words/Skills Test will be tomorrow. Unit 9 Spelling Take-Home is also due tomorrow. Their Pen Pal Letters are due tomorrow as well as their My Choice Story in Cursive. They will have time to work on these tomorrow. 
Math- Today we worked again with Decimals and Fractions. The students seemed to grasp the concept better today. We practiced with the Base-10 blocks to find fraction and decimal equivalents. The students also began to understand how to compare fractions and decimals. MB & SL 4.2 due MONDAY, Nov. 14; MB & SL 4.3 due Tuesday, Nov. 15.
 Science- We all made landfills together today and the students used the litter that we picked up on the DCS playground yesterday. The students worked in pairs to create a landfill and then we discussed the importance of each part of a landfill.

Tuesday's Activities

Bible- Today we began our 5th Bible Unit which will look at the life and times of Ruth. We looked at how Ruth and others in the first Chapter of Ruth made either wise or unwise decisions. Ruth 1:16-17 is the memory passage due on Friday, Nov. 18. 
Social Studies- Today the students had time to finish their explorers posters and begin studying for their Social Studies Unit 3 Test which will take place on Thursday. 
Literacy- Today in our literacy block the students worked diligently as we studied Irregular Verbs in both our Grammar and Spelling Lesson. In our spelling lesson the students began making a flash cards game in which we will review the irregular past tenses of irregular verbs with a partnered activity. The students were very excited about opening the letters we received from our Pen Pals and reading them. The students began writing a letter back to them. The Pen Pal Letter is Due on Thursday. Unit 9 Spelling Take Home and Spelling Words/Skills Test will be on THURSDAY!
Science- Today the students had the great privilege of caring for our environment here at DCS by going around the playground area and picking up every piece of litter that we could find. The students enjoyed this activity and learned about what kinds of litter exist as well as the harm they can do to the environment. It was interesting to see what kinds of litter the students found and to study where those pieces of litter came from based upon the opinions of the students. We devised a plan for what we might be able to do to educate DCS about the problem of litter on the playground. The students should bring a shoebox, or small box to school tomorrow, one that can be cut up. I will provide several boxes for the students if you are not able to provide one. 
Math-  The students began our investigation of decimals today. We used base-10 blocks to help us understand the relationship between fractions, base-10 blocks and decimals. If the students would like to re-take the Math Assessment from Unit 3 i will allow them to do that tomorrow. MB & SL 4.1 Due tomorrow. MB & SL 4.2 due Thursday. The students should have all Math Boxes 3.7-4.1 done by tomorrow. 
Have a great evening! We look forward to seeing you tomorrow or Thursday!

Monday's Activities

The students and I were re-energized as we began our week together. Just a reminder for you, the permission slips for our field trip to the Kent County Recycling and Education Center are due on Thursday. I have received many already! Thank You!
Bible- Today we concluded our brief look at the many different tools that our Bibles have in them that we can use to help study the Word of God. We will begin a new Unit tomorrow which focuses on the life and times of Ruth. The students have a new memory verse that is due Friday, Nov. 18. It comes from Ruth 1:16-17
Social Studies- Today the students were given time once again to continue working on their Marquette Explorers Posters. Some groups finished and others will be given time to finish tomorrow. We will begin tomorrow reviewing for our Unit 3 Assessment which will take place on Thursday.
Literacy- We studied Irregular Verbs today and the fact that they dont have an -ed ending to their past tense. We also began our spelling Unit for the week. The students received their Take Home activities for the week. The Spelling Test Unit 9 will take place on THURSDAY. 
Math- We spent the first 25 minutes of math today discussing and reviewing the Unit 3 Tests that we took on Friday. I gave the students an option that if they got more than 5 wrong, a score of 32 or less, they would be given the chance to take the test again on Wednesday. So please talk this over with your child.  MB & SL 4.1 are due on Wednesday. Also we will be going through our Math boxes on Wednesday which means i would like them to have all Math Boxes 3.7 through 4.1 done so that we can check them together. 
Science- Today we discussed the impact of liquid waste upon the environment. We did an experiment in which we looked at oil spills and ways that we could clean them up in our environment. We talked about what we knew about the recent oil spills in the Kalamazoo River and also in the Gulf of Mexico. The students should have a shoe box at school on Wednesday for our science project.

Fun Friday

Today the students received a field trip permission slip for our upcoming field trip to the Kent County Recycling and Education Center. Hopefully you received that from them. Please return that slip by Thursday, Nov. 10. 
Bible- Today the students completed their New Testament Books Bible Memory Quiz. They all did very well! We will investigate maps on Monday then begin Unit 5 on Tuesday.
Math- Today the students took their Unit 3 Assessment. We will begin Unit 4 on Monday.
Literacy- Today the students took their Unit 8 Spelling Words and Skills Test. We also viewed a folktale story presented in video form. We completed a grammar mini lesson about Linking and Action Verbs. Finally, we read our Prompt Practice Stories to one another.
Social Studies- The students were given time to work together with their group members to begin creating their posters about Jacques Marquette and other explorers who came to Michigan.
Science- Today in science we completed an activity that allowed us to look at solid things that many people would throw away and bring to a landfill. We discussed together the idea that if we take our time and decide what things can be recycled or reused, we can reduce the negative effects that trash has on the environment.
The students have no homework over the weekend! Enjoy!

Thursday's Activities

We gave the students their progress reports today,  I hope you look for them and talk with them about their progress when you have time!
Tomorrow(Friday), we will pass out our class pictures to one another, just as i had mentioned in the parent letter at the beginning of the week. The students seem very excited to be able to hand out and collect pictures from their classmates. 
Bible-  Our focus today in Bible was to learn how to use the Footnotes in our Bible to find out more information about something in our text. The students practiced using the footnotes and referring to passages or other notes to fully understand the meaning of the original passage. The students will have a fill-in-the blank New Testament Books Quiz tomorrow.
 Science- Today the students were given the time to focus on and complete the "Trash Pizzas" that we had started. The goal of this activity was for the students to be able to see how much of what we throw away on average is plastic, paper, metals and other categories. The pictures below show the students working on this activity.
Literacy- Mrs. VanHofwegen visited our class today to introduce to the students the new break-out groups that we are starting next week. In these groups we will be focusing on the specific skills that we have noticed that our students can be challenged in related to literacy. We read through a folktale story entitled; " ", and we also had a mini grammar lesson about linking verbs. We concluded our literacy time today by looking at consonant blends that appear in the beginning, middle and ending portions of words.  We have our Unit 8 Spelling Words/ Skills Test tomorrow. 
 Math- Today the students and i reviewed the basic concepts that we would like them to know for their Unit 3 assessment tomorrow. The students all did very well with this and it seems to me that they are prepared for their assessment tomorrow.
Computers- The students have been working recently on designing a scrapbook page related to a folktale story they had read last week in class. The students are working to include the main elements of folktale on their page.
Music- The students had music this afternoon. They played their recorders with Miss Feyen. This is one thing that the students should remember to bring with them every Thursday so that they have the chance to fully participate in these activities with their classmates.

Wednesday's Activities

Bible- Today in our Bible discussion we reviewed how to use Section Headings in our Bible to guide us in our studies of the Bible. We also talked about whether or not these Section Headings are actually part of the infallible word of God or if they are guidelines added by publishers. New Testament Books Fill-in-the-Blank Quiz on Friday, Nov. 4
Math- Today the students were given a review sheet which covers the topics for our Unit 3 Assessment on Friday, Nov. 4 We will review these concepts together in class tomorrow. MB & SL 3.11 Due Thursday. 
Literacy-  Today in our Literacy Block we read several Folktale stories. "How the Ox Star fell from Heaven" by Lily Toy Hong, and "Martina the Beautiful Cockroach" by Carmen Agra Deedy. We once again looked through the books attempting to find the elements of folktale. We also noticed the different cultures represented by the books. For spelling/grammar today we did an exercise in which i asked the students to change several irregular verbs into the past tense. After we had done that i asked them to look at the Past Tense Verb and then find a homophone for that word. The students did very well with this activity.
Social Studies - Today i introduced our Social Studies Project to the class. I have split the class into groups of 3 and they are working together to gather and display information about Jacques Marquette and the other Explorers. Their final product for this project is a poster which they will display.

-The students are always busy on Wednesday with various "specials" classes. These include Physical Education, a trip to the Library, and also some time with Mrs. Koning studying Spanish.

Tuesday's Activities

Today the students were all very eager to share their experiences and stories from last night. I'm glad to hear that everyone had a safe and enjoyable time.
We began our day with Art class and the students did an excellent job with their projects.
Science- We continued our science studies about caring for our environment. We began today by looking at Trash. We studied where trash is stored, how much trash we produce, what kinds of trash we produce and the impact that trash can have upon our environment. We began a small project in which the students will create a "pizza" displaying the types of trash that on average we all throw away.

Literacy- Today we looked deeper at helping verbs. We practiced with determining the helping verb that fits in the sentence and finding the main verbs in sentences as well. We also participated in a compound word activity in which the students had to determine the smaller words within the compound word and also determine the main vowel sounds that each of those words contained and sort them out. I read a folktale story entitled; "Why Mosquitoes Buzz in Peoples Ears" and the students determined the elements of a folktale within that story. Spelling Skills and Words Test Unit 8 is on Friday. The students have been working on a Prompt Story in class that is due on Friday as well. 
Math- Today we investigated Open Number Sentences which involve variables in the form of letters that we must solve for. This was a tricky concept at first, but the students quickly grasped it and learned to solve the problems.MB &SL 3.10 are due tomorrow. MB & SL 3.11 are due on Thursday. The students have a Unit 3 Test on Friday. 
Social Studies- Today we read through a lesson of our book about the impact of the British and the Americans fighting against the British in order to gain independence as a state. We will begin an explorers group project tomorrow that will last the remainder of the week.