Colonial VA Wax Museum

Check out our wax museum! The students researched their famous Virginian and then wrote a short biography and created a prop to hold. Our patrons were the second graders and one Kindergarten Class.  Thank you Second Grade teachers and Mrs.Eritano and Mrs. Hilton for letting your students come to our museum.  It was a big hit!

Recorders and Robots

The recorder concert was a huge success!  Thanks to Mrs. Ridge for working with the students.  Also, check out the robot party in the classroom.  My math students did an excellent job creating their 3D figure robots.  The first graders are also enjoying learning about 3D figures as students from my math class are showing the first graders their robots and explaining what figures they used to make them.  Great job students!

 

 

   

Homework for 2/24

Mrs. Crosby's Math Class:  p.155 (Mon), p.156 (Tues), p.145 (Wed.), p.148 (Thurs)
Ms. Phillips's Math Class:  p.150 (Mon), p.144-145 (Tues), WS (Wed), p.155 (Thurs)
Reading:  Read for 20 minutes (Mon-Thurs), Reading log due Friday, Reading WS (due Friday)* 
*There is no writing this week. I am alternating weeks with reading and writing homework from now on.
VA Studies:  WS (Mon), WS (Tues), WS (Wed), Test Thursday!,  Come to our Wax Museum on Friday from 2:30-3:00

The Last Week of February! (?)

Wow!  February really flew by.  It's hard to believe it's the last week of February.  Here's what happening this week in Room 128:

Language Arts:  We will start reviewing strategies this week. This week's focus is using context clues to help figure out the meaning of unknown words.  Students will become "word detectives" and look for clues such as synonyms and antonyms and examples in sentences to help figure our unknown words.  We will also be learning about prepositional phrases.  Students will have spelling and word work this week.  In addition, instead of weekly writing homework, there will be a reading comprehension worksheet.  I will now be alternating reading and writing homework every week in order to help start preparing students for their Reading SOL test. (Yes, we start reviewing this early!)

Math:  This week's focus is on mixed numbers and improper fractions.  Students will learn how to convert an improper fraction into a mixed number and vice versa.  Students will also learn how to place fractions on a number line to help with number sense.  Please refer to my edline page for additional practice and tutorial videos. 

Virginia Studies:  We will wrap up our unit on Colonial Virginia and the Founding Fathers on Friday. There will be a test on Thursday.  We will also have our Colonial Virginia Wax Museum on Friday from 2:30-3:00. The students will be "wax figures" and will read you their autobiography when their "button" is pushed.  I hope to see you there!

Notes:  Our next unit in Science is on electricity.  I am looking for D Batteries for our next project (designing an electronic game board).  Please consider donating for this fun project.  

Homework for the Week of 2/17

This Week's HW*:
Monday HW:  Read for 20 minutes, Math WS (Phillips), Study for Probability Test (Crosby) Weather Review WS, Weather Test tomorrow!, Writing WS given out today (due on Friday)
Tuesday HW:  Read for 20 minutes, Math WS, Geometry Test tomorrow (Phillips's Math Class), No HW (Crosby)
Wednesday HW:  Read for 20 minutes, Math WS (Phillips), Workbook p.145 (Crosby), Study for Spelling Test, VS6 Study Guide sent home today
Thursday HW:  Read for 20 minutes, Math WS (Phillips), Writing WS due tomorrow,Workbook p.146 (Crosby)
*May be subject to change.  Please check your child's agenda daily.

Warm Weather Ahead?

It has felt like it won't ever get warm again, but the Junior Meteorologists have seen the weather maps and are predicting warm weather for this week (with a little help from the National Weather Service).  Here's what's happening this week in Room 128:

Language Arts:  Students will start writing their writing sample for the month.  They will have 2 weeks to write an essay on the prompt given in class.  This will be a test grade. This week's comprehension skill is plot.  We will have a skill sheet on Tuesday and a reading comprehension quiz on Wednesday.  There will be word work and weekly writing homework this week also.  Be sure to study you spelling words for the spelling test on Thursday!

Math:  We will finish our unit on Geometry (Test Wed!)  and start our unit fractions this week.  This is a tough unit!  Be sure to look for and use the study guide for the unit.  It will be sent home one day this week.  This week's focus is a review on what a fraction is, fraction benchmarks (Is the fraction closest to 1, 1/2, or 0) and the vocabulary associated with fractions.  

Science:  We are wrapping up our weather unit with students finishing and presenting their posters on storms.  Weather teams will go live on the Magruder Morning Show starting Thursday.  There will also be a test on Wednesday.  Look for a review sheet coming home on Tuesday.

VA Studies:  It's back again!  Our next unit is on the Founding Fathers and important documents in Virginia. A study guide for this unit will be sent home on Wednesday.

Notes:  Don't forget!  The recorder concert will be held this Thursday at 6:30.  Please arrive at the classroom no later than 6:20.  I have also added links to review sites for fractions and VS 6 (our next unit in Social Studies) on my edline pages.  Please visit the sites for additional help and review.  Finally, I will now be posting homework for the week on my weekly post.  Please continue to check your child's agenda for up to the date HW assignments.

Homework 2/13

Reading:  Read for 20 minutes, Writing WS Due Tomorrow
Math:  WS (Phillips), p.295 (Crosby)
Notes:  Recorder Concert Tonight at 6:30.  Come to the classroom  by 6:20

Homework 2/11

Reading:  Read for 20 minutes, Writing WS due Friday
Math:  ws (Phillips), Workbook p.298 (Crosby)*
*I gave all the workbook pages for the week yesterday!  My apologies. The communication broke down here!
Science:  Review WS, Quiz tomorrow
Notes:  Recorder concert Thursday at 6:30.  Be at school by 6:20!

STEM in Action!

Check out our STEM project for our weather unit.  The students designed their own anemometers and they actually worked!  I also included a picture of someone who wants more snow this week!

 

Homework 2/10

Reading:  Read for 20 minutes, Writing Worksheet due Friday (for a bonus, you may actually make the Valentine's mailbox)
Math: Workbook  p.131-132 (Phillips) p.294-295 and p. 297-298
Science:  Quiz Wednesday on Weather Instruments
Note:  Recorder Concert Thursday at 6:30, Arrive no later than 6:20

Snow? "Snow" Problem!

Due to the recent snow days, we need to play catch up, but I know that is no problem for my wonderful students who have been pretty flexible with our schedule lately.

This week we are learning about...
Language Arts:  We will be learning about poetry and will be writing a haiku for the National Poetry Contest.  There will be word work and a spelling test on Thursday, as well as the weekly Reading comprehension quiz on Thursday.  This week's skill is paraphrasing.  To help with this skill, you can practice summarizing at the end of chapter in your book.  The steps for paraphrasing are:  Read carefully, Think about what you read, and Say it in your own words.

Math:  We will working hard to finish up our geometry unit.  This week's focus is on polygons, quadrilaterals, and 3D figures.  The unit test will be Wednesday, February 19th.

Science:  The Weather Teams are hard at work learning all about weather.  This week's focus is on clouds, fronts, and pressure systems.  There will also be a short research project in class this week on storms (hurricanes, tornadoes, and thunderstorms).  Next week, teams will go live on the Magruder Morning Show and will present the weather for the day.

Notes:  You may bring in Valentines on Fridayand we will have a short Valentines exchange.  I will send home a list of names on Monday. Remember, as per school policy, candy is not allowed to be given out.

Have a wonderful week!

Homework 2/6

Reading:  Read for 20 minutes
Writing:  Paragraph due tomorrow
Math:  WS
Notes:  The Recorder Concert is next Thursday!    Keep practicing!

Homework 2/5

Reading: Read for 20 minutes
Math (Ms. Phillips's Class):  WS
Writing:  Paragraph due Friday on prompt

How was your "snowcation"?

I hope everyone got out and got to enjoy the snow.  I'm so glad we have a regular week this week!
Here's what's happening this week in 4th grade..

Language Arts:  We will be learning about similes and metaphors this week.  We will also be learning about making generalizations and determining if they are valid or faulty.  This week students are back on schedule with weekly writing homework, word work, and a skill sheet on Tuesday.  There will also be a reading comprehension quiz on Thursday, as well as a spelling test on Thursday.  I hope to start a read aloud this week for the book Wonder.
Here's a link to activities about making generalizations: http://mrswarnerarlington.weebly.com/making-generalizations.html

VA Studies:  Test Wed on the Revolutionary War!  I will be counting this as a grade only if the grade improves a student's Quarter 2 grade.  Otherwise, I will be using it more as a tool to see what I need review later on in the year.

Science:  Weather Unit starts this week!  Students will get to be Junior Metereologists and will get to make actual weather reports at the end of the unit.

Math: We are still reviewing for the Quarter 2 Test!  This week also starts our unit on Geometry.  This week will focus on lines, line segments, rays, and angles.  If your student is in Mrs. Crosby's math class, they will be reviewing this week also.

Notes:  Any donations of box tops for Education, dry erase markers, pencils, or notebook paper are always welcome.  The students will also have a chance to see the VA Opera perform Pinnochio at our school this week.  Thank you PTA!