Week of June 1-3, 2009 - LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL!

REMEMBER:

• Wednesday, June 3 is a half day and there is NO extended care available. All students are to be picked up at 11:30 a.m. therefore a lunch will not be needed.

Monday 6/1/09

• Math 3: This morning we took our last math test and are officially done with third grade math! I strongly enourage students to study DAILY the multiplication and division fact cards that I sent home last month. This will help you stay smart and begin fourth grade with a solid knowledge of your fact families.
• Language Arts 3/4: We held our last spelling bee of the year today. CONGRATULATIONS to Ryan for earning the title of Third Grade Champ, and Alina the title of Fourth Grade Champ! The showdown for Class Grand Champion was a close call but Alina managed to snag the title with the word "threw." Keep spelling and vocabulary a part of your daily life this summer! Don't forget fourth grade book reports are due TOMORROW! I look forward to hearing about the books.
• Religion 3/4: We watched a video about the apostle Paul's missionary journeys.
• Science 3/4: I was very disappointed to find that only three students turned in a completed chapter review this morning. We had already completed about a third of it in class on Friday afternoon, and the rest was assigned for homework. The consequence for the three who DID do the assignment was that they didn't have to take the test, and were granted a free 100%. The others still had to take the test, and are still expected to turn in the chapter review. If any student does not turn in the completed chapter review tomorrow, I have no choice but to record a zero for the assignment. Again, the assignment is on page 168-169: do all of #1-25, pick two from #26-30, and pick one from #31-32.

Week of May 25-29, 2009

Friday 5/29/09

• Math 3: This morning we worked on simplifying expressions that include multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction. The important thing to remember is that we need to MULTIPLY and DIVIDE first, then ADD and SUBTRACT. We can remember this by getting help from "My Dear Aunt Sally" - multipy, divide, add, subtract. We also learned place value to one million. No homework.
• Language Arts 3/4: We journaled about the upcoming summer break, took our last spelling test of the school year, and then finished up working on math or reading for book reports. No homework.
• Religion 3/4: Next Wednesday is the last day to say memory work and about half the class still has Scripture to study - catch up this weekend!
• Science 3/4: We began a chapter review in class today which will need to be completed for homework this weekend. Students are working on page 168-169 and need to finish answering the following questions: do ALL of 1-25, pick TWO from 26-30, and pick ONE from 31-32. Students should try to answer as many as possible without looking back in the chapter but if needed, page numbers are listed next to each question.
• Art 3/4: We used art time today to work on Father's Day cards (shh, don't tell!!).

Thursday 5/28/09

• Math 3: We learned how to do problems dividing a two-digit number by a one digit number with a remainder. Long division is probably the most complicated concept we've learned so far. It requires one to not only divide, but also to multiply and subtract. It requires a solid knowledge of all the times tables as well as the ability to subtract. If your student is still weak in the area of multiplication PLEASE keep studying these, especially during the summer months. No homework.
• Language Arts 3: Some of us worked on spelling, and others used the time to finish working on math. The long division stumped some of us! Homework: Daniel has ABC order, 3x, and sentences; Alizza and Ryan have sentences; everyone need to study for the spelling test tomorrow.
• Language Arts 4: Fourth graders kept reading for their book reports. Homework: Alina and Laurie have sentences, everyone but Craig has words to study for tomorrow's test.
• Religion 3/4: Some students have memory work to learn still...the school year isn't over yet! Keep studying!!
• Science 3/4: We played a game to review chronic/acute, infectious/noninfectious, and virus/bacteria diseases. Then we discussed ways that we can keep ourselves well: eat healthy foods, exercise, avoid harmful things like smoking/drinking/drugs, and manage our stress. No homework.
• PE 3/4: Kickball with Mr. Bretscher!

Wednesday 5/27/09

• Math 3: Today we learned how to write hundredths using fractions and decimals. This was an easy concept to pick up because we compared one hundredth to one penny...100 pennies make a dollar, and 100 hundredths make up a whole. Therefore, we write the fraction just like we did when writing a check, and we write the decimal just like we would write a money amount. For example, thirty-seven hundredths would be .37 or 37/100. No homework, except to study fact cards!
• Language Arts 3: We journaled and worked hard on spelling words and cursive handwriting, and also used the time to finish up our math from before chapel time. Homework: Daniel and Ryan have 3x, Daniel also has ABC order. CURSIVE!!
• Language Arts 4: We journaled and then spent the rest of the time reading for our book reports and working on spelling homework. Book reports are due on Tuesday, June 2!! Please make sure you are taking time to read each night and planning time to work on your report, either in class or at home this weekend. Homework: Alina and Ashton have 3x.
• Science 3/4: We continued in our unit on diseases and learned about noninfectious diseases, which you can't spread through pathogens. This means they are not contagious. Some examples of these that we discussed were heart disease, cancer, diabetes, asthma, allergies, and arthritis. We also concluded that because many of these diseases do not have cure but only treatments, they are considered chronic diseases, meaning they last a long time. Homework: Predicting Outcomes worksheet - students are given four situations and asked to select the most likely outcome from three possibilities. Please make sure your child is thinking through each situation and using knowledge from class and the text book to complete this sheet - talk it over with them but please don't give them the answers
• We also read our last Scholastic News of the school year! It was a double issue, so we had twice as many stories and activities to go over together. We read about science fiction and the new Star Trek movie, Hawaii's 50th anniversary as a state, the Obama family's new dog Bo, and several other interesting topics. We also read about the Summer Slide, an occurence that affects hundreds of students each year. Because they don't keep their brains active over the summer, they forget a lot of what they learned and have to spend the first few months of the new school year RE-learning what they already knew! Scholastic's suggestion was to read four or more books over the summer. Students can sign up for the Summer Challenge at www.scholastic.com/summer and access age-appropriate book lists, discover new authors, chat with other children about books, win prizes, and keep those brains active during the summer months.

Tuesday 5/26/09 - half day

• Math 3: Today we worked with showing large numbers using objects, rounding numbers to the nearest thousand, and comparing/ordering numbers from 0 to 10,000. Place value continues to be an important concept! Everyone finished their work in class. For the rest of this week, students will not be bringing home math homework. We will only be completing one skill sheet for lesson (instead of the usual two) so there is no reason why students can't finish their work in class. Hopefully no math homework will make this last week of school more bearable, but please remember to keep studying your multiplication fact cards!
• Language Arts 3/4: We journaled about the weekend, took our last spelling pre-test of the year, then used the rest of the time to work on handwriting (3rd grade) or reading for book reports (4th grade). Homework: Spelling words in ABC order.

Monday 5/25/09: No School! Happy Memorial Day!

Terra Nova Conference Schedule

Parent teachers conferences are being held May 26 and 27, 2009. Conference times for my students were based on the forms returned today, and to my knowledge everyone received a 15-minute appointment during their first preference. These conferences are only to discuss the results of the Terra Nova tests, which students took in April. In case you misplace your appointment confirmation slip that was sent home today, here is the schedule:

Tuesday May 26, 2009

• 1:15 - 1:30 : Laurie
• 1:30-1:45 : Alizza
• 1:45-2:00 : Ryan
• 2:00 - 2:15 : Ashton
• 6:30 - 6:45 : Alina
• 6:45 - 7:00 : Kevin
• 7:00 - 7:15 : Daniel

Wednesday May 27, 2009

• 3:30 - 3:45 : Craig

Week of May 18-22, 2009

Reminders for this week:

• Parent teacher conference APPOINTMENT CONFIRMATIONS went home on Tuesday. Based on the forms I received, everyone has been scheduled during their first choice.
• Sandwich order forms are due no later than Wednesday May 20, 2009. Please consider buying a sandwich or two and help support Miss Bertschi's future mission work in Germany! Thank you in advance for your support!

Wednesday 5/20/09

• Math 3: Today we learned how to plot points on a coordinate plane. We learned about coordinates and reviewed positive and negative numbers. Most students came close to finishing the A paper today but did not complete it. Homework: 129 A and B.
• Language Arts 3: We journaled, practiced writing our spelling words in cursive, and reviewed adverbs and adjectives. Remember, an adverb answers the questions how? when? where? while an adjective answers the questions which one? how many? what kind? Homework: Spelling sentences written in cursive.
• Language Arts 4: We journaled, then used the rest of class time to read our book report novels. Homework: Spelling sentences written in cursive.
• Science 3/4: We continued discussing infectious diseases and learned about some of the body's natural defenses against disease. Unfortunately many students had a hard time staying on task and following directions during today's lesson, so we did not get through the reading and is has been assigned for homework. Typically I would not assign as homework somethign that we didn't have time for, but the students chose to waste class time therefore the consequence is to do the reading alone for homework tonight rather than together with the class and myself. Homework: Read pages 150-155.
• We also used afternoon time to finish up practicing the recorder song and our class verse for the final assembly, which will take place this Friday at 10:30 a.m. Please make plans to attend, it will be a very special time for students and teachers alike.

Tuesday 5/19/09

• Math 3: This morning we went back to the number line and reviewed positive and negative numbers. We also learned how to add negative numbers and drew pictures to match these new number sentences on the number line. Most finished 128A in class. Homework: 128 B.
• Language Arts 3: Third graders are becoming pros at classifying parts of the sentence - so far they have been able to find the subject (noun), verb, and adverb, and today we added adjectives. Hopefully the jingles and question/answer flows we've been learning are helping to solidify these concepts! There will be a quiz over these four parts of speech later this week. Homework: Spelling words written 3x in cursive.
• Language Arts 4: Fourth graders are now finished with their literature books and have begun reading a novel of their choice set in the 1700 or 1800s, to coincide with our recent studies on pioneer life, colonialism, and early America. The novels are historical fiction, which involve actual people, places, and events in history but are surrounded by the author's added storyline. Over the last two weeks of class, fourth graders will prepare and present a book report on their novel. Time will be given in class each day to read and eventually work on reports but this project most likely will require some work to be done at home. Homework: Spelling words written 3x in cursive.
• Religion 3/4:
• Science 3/4: We learned specifically about infectious diseases today. We learned new vocabulary and the different between a virus and bacteria, and we found out what a pathogen is.
• PE 3/4: Kickball with Mr. Bretscher.

Monday 5/18/09

• Math 3: Today we worked on finding distances between cities on a map using map scale. This is not a new concept, in fact we began doing this months ago in social studies! Some students are still struggling with measuring to the quarter inch, which in turn makes using the map scale very difficult. Please practice measuring small distances with your child and review writing mixed numbers. Two students finished all of their work, A and B, in class today. Homework: finish the map, 127A and B.
• Language Arts 3: We journaled, took spelling pre-test #33, and then reviewed subject noun, verb, and adverb. Homework: Spelling words written in ABC order using cursive.
• Language Arts 4: We journaled, took spelling pre-test #33, and then finished reading "The Fighting Ground", the last story in our literature book! Homework: Spelling words in ABC order using NEAT cursive.
• Religion 3/4: First half of memory work on page 241 (up to the word "God").
• Science 3/4: With all the new information about swine flu or H1N1 going around, it seemed appropriate for us to address this area in our studies. For the next two weeks we will be learning about guarding against diseases, the difference between infectious and noninfectious, and specific ways the body fights disease. It is sure to be an interesting study and will hopefully keep students captivated during these last few days of school. We will conclude the unit next Friday by taking a test and watching a Magic School Bus video about the immune system.
• We also used afternoon time to work on our recorder song and class verse for the final assembly, which will take place this Friday!

Week of May 11-15, 2009

Thursday 5/14/09

• Math 3: We took a test in class today. No homework except to study fact cards!! No math tomorrow due to Field Day.
• Language Arts 3: We learned a new jingle about adverbs and added adverbs to the mix in classifying sentences. For the last few weeks of school I am trying the Shurley English method (Google it!) to help solidify what student have already been taught about grammar and parts of speech and so far it is working out well. Homework: Study for spelling test, which will take place tomorrow afternoon due to Field Day in the morning.
• Language Arts 4: We began reading the last story in our literature books, an excerpt from the novel "The Fighting Ground" by Avi. Homework: Study for spelling test, which will take place tomorrow afternoon due to Field Day in the morning.
• Religion 3/4:
• Social Studies 3/4: We ate the orange candy that took so long to prepare, and some really liked it while others didn't appreciate the taste. We finished up our Venn Diagrams that compared two Native American leaders and then got to hear another chapter from "Pocahontas."
• PE 3/4: We threw boomerangs in the field with Mr. Bretscher.

Wednesday 5/13/09

• Math 3: We learned how to use number lines to show three types of problems: some, some more; some, some went away; and equal groups. We also learned how to write number sentences to match a number line drawing. Homework: 126 A/B.
• Language Arts 3/4: We learned about a traditional pioneer/colonial children's game called Cat's Cradle, which is played with a piece of string and two people. We learned how to play the game; some caught on quickly but we all had to practice many times. Thankfully it was fun so we didn't mind having to practice it! Homework: Spelling sentences, in cursive.
• The afternoon was spent in the kitchen preparing and eating foods for our Pioneer Day! We made our own butter from whipping cream, baked cornbread and cooked hasty pudding, carved and filled apples which we baked with brown sugar, and even mulled some apple cider! Our orange peel candy took much longer to prepare and will be ready to eat tomorrow. Overall we had a great time together in the kitchen, getting a taste of colonial meals and trying new things. Great job everyone, and thanks for all your hard work!!

Tuesday 5/12/09

• Math 3: This morning we worked on dividing by 6, 8, and 9. Most students finished 125A in class. Homework: 125B and study fact cards!!
• Language Arts 3 and 4: We spent some time journaling and then used the rest of our time to practice for our field trip to Mill Pond, where we sang to three different crowds! Homework: Spelling words written 3x in neat cursive.
• Religion 3/4: Our field trip to Mill Pond took place during religion time and so we did not have religion class today. Thursday is the next time we will meet, please make sure to study memory work between now and then.
• Social Studies 3/4: We were planning to use time today on start peeling oranges for our orange peel candy that we're preparing for Pioneer Day tomorrow, but unfortunately that had to be taken away as a consequence for bad classroom behavior. Instead, we did some more reading on three major Native Americans from the 1800s in Indiana: Little Turtle, Tecumseh, and Tenskwatawa (the Prophet). Tomorrow is Pioneer Day!
• PE 3/4: Outside sports with Mr. Bretscher.

Monday 5/11/09

• Math 3: Third graders reviewed multiples of 8 and learned how to divide a two-digit number by a one digit number using long division! Now more than ever, students MUST be studying their fact cards each night. We are moving on to more complex math work and multiplication/division facts need to become basic knowledge - study study study! Homework: 124B and oral facts 124.
• Language Arts 3: We took spelling pretest #32 and then did more review work with identifying subject noun and verb in sentences. Homework: Spelling words in ABC order, using CURSIVE handwriting.
• Language Arts 4: Fourth graders re-read "Life in Philadelphia" and completed a worksheet on comparison and contrast. Homework: Get parent signature on comprehension quiz, then make corrections to the quiz and return on Tuesday. Also, spelling words in ABC order using neat CURSIVE handwriting.
• Social Studies 3/4: We finished up a Scholastic News about invasive species and completed a skill sheet involving ordering events and reading a chart. Not everyone finished. Homework: Complete the Scholastic News skill sheet.
• Music 3/4: We worked more on our recorder song "Life is a Journey" for the final assembly...some students have already learned the entire chorus and some are still working on memorizing the notes. Remember to practice for 5 minutes each night and bring your recorder back to school EVERY DAY so that we can practice together in class.
• Four students did not bring in their supplies for Pioneer Day, which is this Wednesday. A note was sent home last Wednesday that asked for supplies to be brought in to school no later than today...PLEASE send Pioneer Day supplies to school on Tuesday. Without all of the supplies we will not be able to have our special day.
• Also, remember to wear your purple shirt tomorrow! 3-6 grade will be going to Mill Pond to visit the Sutherlins' great-grandma and sing some songs to the "lunch crowd". It will be a special time of sharing with the residents and patients!

Week of May 4-8, 2009

Friday 5/8/09

• Math 3: Homework: 123B, and study fact cards.
• Religion 3/4:
• We had a special treat this afternoon and watched "The Tale of Despereaux." This movie was based on the novel of the same name, which Miss Bertschi read to the class back in the fall. It was interesting to find similarities and differences between the book and the movie!
• Happy Mother's Day!

Thursday 5/7/09

• Math 3: We did two lessons today because we won't have time tomorrow with the Mother's Tea! Students learned how to divide multiples of 10 by a single digit number, and they also began working with negative numbers on a number line. Most finished 122A in class. Homework: 122B and oral facts 122. Also be sure to study fact cards!
• Language Arts 3: We took spelling tests and got caught up on any missing work from the week. No homework.
• Language Arts 4: We took spelling tests and got caught up on any missing work from the week. No homework.
• PE 3/4: Kickball outside with Mr. Bretscher.
• We also spent a considerable amount of afternoon time preparing tasty treats for the Mother's Tea tomorrow and finishing up our gifts for our guests. Hope to see you there tomorrow!

Wednesday 5/6/09

• Math 3: We learned about volume today and used cubes to learn how to find the volume of a rectangular prism. Most students finished 121A in class. Homework: 121B.
• Language Arts 3: We journaled and then spent some time reviewing sentence structure. We'll be spending the last month of school going back and working on anything that we are still struggling with in the English and writing skills department. Homework: Spelling 3x and sentences. Don't forget to use cursive!
• Language Arts 4: We read a piece on life in Philadephia and worked on identifying examples of comparison and contrast within the story. Homework: Finish Comparing and Contrasting skill sheet, spelling words 3x and spelling sentences. Cursive!!
• Religion 3/4: 228-229 and any makeup assignments.
• We also used afternoon time to finish up our craft for the Mother's Tea, practice our song, and work on our recorder piece for the final assembly.

Monday 5/4/09

• Math 3: We learned the multiples of 8 and also reviewed factors and products. Remember, two numbers multiplied together are the factors, and the answer is the product. We identified all the factors for numbers 1-20 and also found out about prime numbers, which have EXACTLY two factors. Homework: 120 A/B will be due Wednesday because of the field trip.
• Language Arts 3: We took our pre-test for spelling list #31, journaled about the weekend, and then reviewed some important points in cursive handwriting. Starting this week third graders are expected to complete their spelling homework in cursive. Homework: ABC order should be completed on the worksheet that was sent home - it demonstrates how to write each word in cursive. Due Wednesday because of the field trip.
• Language Arts 4: We took spelling pre-test #31 and journaled about the weekend. We then read a story about Paul Cuffe, identified opinions within the story, and finished making our old-fashioned silhouettes using a flashlight and black paper. Homework: Spelling words in ABC order, due Wednesday because of the field trip.
• Religion 3/4: Memory work on page 227 is due on Wednesday because of the field trip. We will have chapel on Thursday instead of Wednesday this week because of Pastor Barber's schedule, meaning we will have religion on Wednesday instead of Thursday. Please plan your memory work accordingly.
• Music 3/4: We continue to learn and practice our recorder song for the final assembly, and we also began learning our class verse with the help of a fun song. Make sure you are practicing your recorder five minutes a night and bringing it back to school each day.
• We also used afternoon time to work more on our Mother's Tea craft.

Week of April 27 - May 1, 2009

Friday 5/1/09

• Math 3: We took a math test today.
• Language Arts 3: We took spelling tests and then used class time to catch up on missing work. Students who were all caught up got to create an old fashioned silhouette using a flashlight and black paper! Some students have a LOT of blanks in my gradebook because they have not turned in work. Please check your child's planner for assignments and try to get caught up this weekend.
• Language Arts 4: We took spelling tests and then used class time to catch up on missing work. Students who were all caught up got to creat an old fashioned silhouette using a flashlight and black paper! Some students have a LOT of blanks in my grade book because they have not turned in work. Please check your child's planner for assignments and try to get caught up this weekend.
• Religion 3/4: We watched a video and discussed the connections that it had with Easter. Several students have memory work to catch up on; lately many of them have been not learning the daily assignments and that is simply not ok. Please make sure you're studying memory work EACH night!
• Art 3/4: We had our last art lesson with Miss Brooke and she brought modeling clay that we used to practice our sculpting skills! Fun!!
• We also used afternoon time to continue working on our crafts for the Mother's Tea!

Thursday 4/30/09

• Math 3: Today we reviewed centimeters and millimeters (10 mm = 1 cm) and learned how to write measurements using common fractions (tenths) and decimals. For example, a line segment that is 38 mm long is also 3 cm 8 mm long, and we will write it as 3 and 8/10 cm or 3.8 cm. Homework: 119B and oral facts 119. Keep studying flashcards; some students are starting to see the results of their hard work!
• Language Arts 3: We read a story is the form of a longer poem today called "Home Place". Homework: Complete "Place and Location Words" skill sheet, using the text book for help on the front side. Also, study for spelling test.
• Language Arts 4: We read a short biography on a slave girl turned poet named Phillis Wheatley, and we also read a few of her poems together in class. Homework: Study for spelling test.
• Religion 3/4: Some students need to finish today's lesson, found on pages 224-225.
• Social Studies 3/4: We began a brief study on a few key Native Americans during our pioneer time period: Little Turtle, Tecumseh, and Tenskwatawa (The Prophet).
• PE 3/4: Volleyball with Mr. Bretscher.

Wednesday 4/29/09

• Math 3: We discussed some algebra rules and learned how to simplify a number sentence with parentheses as well as how to multiply three or more factors. We also identified the associative property of multiplication, which simply states that you can multiply a set of factors in any order and the answer will always be the same. In other words, 2x3x5 will have the same answer as 3x5x2. Homework: 118B and study flashcards!
• Language Arts 3: Third graders read a piece about the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Washington, D.C. and then worked on cursive handwriting. Next week I am expected third graders to begin completing spelling assignments in cursive! Homework: Spelling sentences.
• Language Arts 4: Fourth graders read "Judith: The Life of a Slave" and continued working on finding supporting details within the text to elaborate on a main idea. Homework: Spelling sentences. Also, finish the "Judith" reading guide for tomorrow.
• Afternoon: We used most of the afternoon on a lengthy and hands-on social studies lesson! We learned how candles were made in the 1800's and then dipped our own candles, which we are keeping in the classroom while we continue to study pioneer Indiana. We made a huge mess but had lots of fun!

Tuesday 4/28/09

• Math 3: Today we took a step toward algebra by learning about function rules. The concept is not new; we've been finding patterns in numbers for quite a while now. Homework: 117B and oral facts 117. Also, remember to study your flashcards each night!
• Language Arts 3: We read three fun poems about memories and oral history and then discussed them together. We also reviewed posessive nouns and pronouns; we're pretty rusty on that so we'll come back to it again soon! Homework: Spelling words written 3x.
• Language Arts 4: We read yesterday's story again and completed a reading guide because Miss Bertschi was NOT happy with the comprehension quizzes students took yesterday. After reviewing the story as well as the main ideas and supporting examples, fourth graders made corrections to their quizzes. Homework: Spelling words written 3x.
• Religion 3/4: Memory work on 219 and any makeup work that has not been completed.
• Social Studies 3/4: We continued our lesson on good and services by finishing up the analysis of the 1800's newspaper and then examining the classified section of the Hoosier Topics to see what are the similarities and differences between what's for sale then and now.
• PE 3/4: Volleyball with Mr. Bretscher.
• Don't forget to practice your recorder for FIVE minutes a night, AFTER all other homework has been completed.

Monday 4/27/09

• Math 3: Today we learned how to multiply a single digit number by a two- or three-digit number using the multiplication algorithm. The students call this method multiplying "up and down." We worked on 116A in class. Homework: 116B and study flashcards. Please take a moment to check out the new math folder your child has brought home - we are trying a new method to cut down on the number of missing assignments by keeping all the papers for the week in one place. Please read the note inside your child's folder and let me know what you think.
• Language Arts 3: We read a fun story called "The Keeping Quilt" about a tangible way one family kept their family traditions and customs alive through a special quilt. We also worked on identifying supporting details (examples) to go along with a main idea. Homework: Spelling words in ABC order. This week is a review week for spelling, which means any spelling words your child has are words that were previously missed on a pre-test or test. Because of this, I will NOT be accepting homework passes for spelling homework this week.
• Language Arts 4: We looked at a very informative piece about two men, Joliet and Marquette, who discovered the Mississippi River area. We also worked on identifying main ideas and supporting details in writing. Homework: Speling words in ABC order. This week is a review week for spelling, which means any spelling words your child has are words that were previously missed on a pre-test or test. Because of this, I will NOT be accepting homework passes for spelling homework this week.
• Religion 3/4: Memory work on page 219, as well as any make-up work that has not been finished.
• Music 3/4: We are taking another chance on the recorders and learning a song for the final assembly. Students are asked to practice the new line of music for FIVE minutes a night, and they are expected to bring the recorders back to school EVERY day so that we can practice together. Recorder practice should only come after all other homework is completed.
• We also used some of the afternoon time to begin working on some special things for the upcoming Mother's Tea...which means I can't tell you what we did! :) We look forward to sharing this special time with the mothers and mother figures in our lives.

Week of April 20-24, 2009

Friday 4/24/09

• Math 3: This morning we learned the properties of geometric solids as well as identified seven diffferent solids: sphere, cube, cone, cylinder, pyramid, rectangular prism, and triangular prism. We also learned about faces, edges, and vertices. No homework.
• Language Arts 3/4: We finished our spelling bee during language arts time. The fourth grade champ was Alina, and during the Grand Championship between Alina and Kevin (the third grade champ), Alina won the title of Class Champion! Congrats Alina!
• Religion 3/4: Homework: memory work on page 219 and any make up work. Please make sure your student is studying memory work each night - only one or two students have not missed any assignments, which means EVERYONE needs to be studying every night to catch up.
• Art 3/4: We learned about surrealism and Salvador Dali with Miss Brooke today, and worked on a cooperative project in which each student only drew a portion of the picture without seeing the rest of the picture - the end results were quite humorous and VERY surreal.

Thursday 4/23/09

• Morning: We used math and language arts time to take the last two portions of the Terra Nova tests: Science and Social Studies. We are officially done with testing now, and will return to our normal schedule tomorrow.
• Religion 3/4: Homework: 204, 205, 213, memory work on 211, and catch up on any missing memory assignments.
• PE 3/4: Kickball outside with Mr. Bretscher.
• Social Studies 3/4: We discussed and defined goods and services and then used our knowledge of them to read "want ads" from an 1838 newspaper. We analyzed the ads, looking for details such as what good or service is being offered. This activity will take two class periods and we will need to finish it another day.

Wednesday 4/22/09

• Math 3: Third graders learned how to multiply by 6! The good news is that we have already learned every x6 fact except for 6 x 8 through the commutative property of multiplication, which says that two numbers can be multiplied in any order and the answer will be the same. One student did not finish their sheet - Homework: 115A.
• Language Arts 3/4: We had a spelling bee which went very long today! The third grade champion is Kevin. We had to stop our spelling bee after an hour in order to go to lunch!
• Afternoon: We used about an hour of the afternoon to continue the spelling bee. The fourth grade champion is still yet to be determined - it is between Ashton and Alina! We'll try to conclude the bee and have the showdown between 3rd and 4th grade champs on Friday morning.
• Science 3/4: We had a double science lesson today in honor of Earth day. We discussed rainforests and their importance, thinking back to the fascinating video we watched on Monday. We read "The Lorax" by Dr. Seuss and thought about the terrible effects the Once-ler had on the land, the Truffula Trees, and all the other animals. We also watched the video version of the story and answered discussion questions afterwards.

Tuesday 4/21/09

• Morning: We used math and language arts time this morning to take the Mathematics portion of the Terra Nova achievement test. Third graders, remember to keep studying your fact cards!
• Religion 3/4: Homework: pg 182-183, memory work on 181, and catch up on any other memory work that you are behind on. You will have a chance to say verses again on Thursday.
• Social Studies 3/4: We discussed the differences between slavery and indentured servitude, and talked about them in the context of the Indiana Territory in the early 1800s. We read an actual contract between a master, Eli Hawkins, and his indentured servant, Jacob, and then answered questions based on the contract.
• PE 3/4: Indoor activities with Mr. Bretscher!

Monday 4/20/09

• Morning: We used our math and language arts time this morning to take the Reading and Language Arts portion of the Terra Nova achievement test. There will be no spelling words this week, and the only math homework third graders have is to STUDY FACT CARDS!
• Science 3/4: We tallied up the number of "green" and "non-green" things in our lunchboxes today and everyone had at least one green thing! Let's try to have more green than not in our lunchboxes if we can! The less waste we produce, the more we are doing to help the environment. We also watched a National Geographic video on the rainforest of Costa Rica and it was such a wonderful way to learn about so many unique and interesting creatures! God's hand is evident in all of creation and it was good for us to see how every aspect of the rain forest works to support another. It was also a bit thought-provoking as we thought of the possibility of extinction for so many rare species if we don't make a point to protect rainforests and other wildlife habitats.
• Religion 3/4:

Week of April 13-17, 2009

Friday 4/17/09

• Math 3: Today we took a math test and then played math games on the computer. Homework: Study flash cards over the weekend!
• Language Arts 3/4: We used language arts time to take the practice test in preparation for the Terra Nova tests, which will take place next week. No homework.
• Religion 3/4: We talked about Jesus and the calling of his disciples, and we discussed various professional church workers like pastors, teachers, missionaries, and directors of Christian education. Homework: Everyone should be practicing memory work over the weekend.
• Science 3/4: We continued our discussion on sustainability and traced our feet, to represent the "footprint" we are leaving behind. Next week students are challenged to produce less waste in their lunchboxes, such as using tupperware or other reusable containers, not using plastic silverware, etc. Each day we will tally up how many bad and good things we used in our lunchbox and at the end of the week we'll see who left the biggest footprint!
• Art 3/4: We learned about pointillism from Miss Brooke and then created our own pointillism paintings.

Thursday 4/16/09

• Math 3: Today we learned how to measure line segments using millimeters, and also how to convert centimeters to millimeters and vice versa. There are 10 millimeters in 1 centimeter, so all you have to do is multiply the number of cm by 10 to find the number of mm! Very easy! Everyone finished 114A in class. Homework: 114B, oral facts 114, and fact card practice.
• Language Arts 3: Today we worked with forming compound sentences from two simple sentences using a comma as well as a joining word like and, but, and or. We also reviewed cursive writing with the capital I and J. Homework: Spelling sentences.
• Language Arts 4: We read a piece on the early houses of the colonies and searched for descriptive details within the writing. Homework: Spelling sentences.
• Religion 3/4: We did some memory work and talked about resolved conflicts. Homework: Page 169.
• Science 3/4: We worked with environmental causes and effects, and then had a lesson on sustainability. We will continue this lesson tomorrow as we discuss ways we can produce less waste each day, especially in our lunch boxes!! :)
• PE 3/4: We were outside with Mr. Bretscher today! Thank you, God for a sunny day!

Wednesday 4/15/09

• Math 3: Today we learned how to use the words acute, obtuse, and right to classify angles and triangles. We also ordered triangles according to size. Everyone finished 113A in class. Homework: 113B and 10 minute of practice with fact cards.
• Language Arts 3: Students read a fun story called "Aunt Flossie's Hat," about an older family member who tells stories about each of the many hats in her closet to her neices. It was a good example of the tradition of oral history and keeping memories alive through storytelling. Homework: Spelling words 3x.
• Language Arts 4: We worked on identifying main ideas and supporting details through reading a piece on the Massachusetts Colony. Chronologically this piece took place immediately after yesterday's reading on the voyage of the Mayflower. Homework: Spelling words 3x.
• Science 3/4: We made observations in our bean journals and discussed what is happening to the sprouts. Some students believe their beans are burning from too much sunlight, while others think that their beans have frozen. Some of the beans appear to be growing at least a little bit!
• Social Studies 3/4: We finished our Snapshots of the Census activity and learned quite a bit about the population in Indiana from 1800-1850.
• Scholastic News 3/4: The feature article in today's paper was Earth Day, which we will celebrate next week. In continuing our discussion on saving energy and protecting the earth, today we discussed cleaner alternatives to fossil fuels such as wind power, solar power, and biofuels. We also read an interesting piece about scientists who used Google Earth to locate a hidden forest in Mozambique, Africa and discovered tons of new animal and plant species!

Tuesday 4/14/09

• Math 3: Today in math we learned how to multiply a single digit number by a two-digit number. This strategy will eventually be done using mental math. Everyone finished 112A in class. Homework: 112B and oral facts 112. Also, students are now expected to study multiplication and division fact families for 10 minutes each night.
• Language Arts 3: We journaled about our Easter weekend, took spelling pre-test #29, and read an informative piece on how to research your family ancenstry using oral history. Homework: Spelling words in ABC order.
• Language Arts 4: We journaled about our Easter weekend, took spelling pre-test #29, and read an interesting piece about the voyage of the Mayflower and what life was like for these pioneers. We also looked for clues related to setting in this and other selections. Homework: Spelling words in ABC order.
• Religion 3/4: We did some memory work and then discussed the parable of the prodigal son. Homework: 164-167, memory work on 167. Due Thursday.
• Social Studies 3/4: We took a look at the 1850 US Census and practiced reading tables and charts to answer questions about the census.
• PE 3/4: Volleyball with Mr. Bretscher.

Week of April 6-10, 2009

Thursday 4/9/09

• Math 3: We took a math test today. Based on the scores of this and recent assessments, I don't believe students are practicing their multiplication and division facts at home. Starting next week, all third graders will be given a set of flashcards to study each night so that we can solidify these facts! Without practice your child will not learn multiplication or division, and these two concepts are crucial to future success in math!
• Language Arts 3: We read a fascinating story about carving a totem pole and used it to talk about writing out the steps of a process. We also took spelling test #28.
• Language Arts 4: We read a piece on the Puritans and Separatists today and worked on identifying characters' opinions. We also took spelling test #28.
• Science 3/4: We made another observation in our lima bean journals and then worked in partners to learn about pollination.
• Religion 3/4: We watched a video of the book of Matthew about the Holy Week and the Passion of Christ. Homework: STUDY MEMORY WORK!!
• PE 3/4: Kickball outside with Mr. Bretscher and the 5th and 6th graders.
• Have a great weekend! Blessings as you celebrate the Risen Savior.

Wednesday 4/8/09

• Math 3: Today we worked with division again and used pennies to find fractional parts of a set. We also learned a strategy to find the age of a penny or a person. Some students finished their packet in class, others didn't. Homework: 111 A/B.
• Language Arts 3: We read a very interesting story about the Brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm. It was cool to find out how the brothers got interested in storytelling and brought pride to Germany. We also worked on using commas with direct addresses and introductory words/phrases. Not everyone finished the commas packet in class. Homework: Spelling sentences (study for test!) and Commas packet.
• Language Arts 4: We read a story about Pocahontas and looked for ways in which the author used characterization to tell us what kind of person Pocahontas was. Homework: Spelling sentences and study for test!
• Art 3/4: We had a visit from Miss Brooke, a DePauw student, who will be teaching art in our class each week for the next few months. She taught us about Grandma Moses and we talked about recyclable art! Student learned how to make flower bouquets using old newspapers, straws, and a stapler.
• Social Studies 3/4: We continued yesterday's cartography activity and talked about the changes to the Northwest Territory as Indiana came into statehood.
• Scholastic News: Our newspaper today had a feature article on tornadoes and other stories about a giant stingray found in Thailand. Homework: Several students need to finish their scholastic news skill sheet.

Tuesday 4/7/09

• PLEASE remember to have students to school NO LATER than 6:10 p.m. tonight for the Easter program. If your child needs to change into a costume here at school you may want to come closer to 6:00 to ensure they have plenty of time to get ready. The program starts at 6:30...see you then!
• Math 3: Today we learned about translations, rotations, and reflections (slides, turns, and flips) as three ways to change a design. It was declared "fun math" and almost everyone finished 110 B in class. Homework: 110 B.
• Language Arts 3 and 4: We did our final dress rehearsal today during language arts time. There was a little bit of time left over at the end which we used as a study hall so that we wouldn't have to do homework tonight because of the Easter program. Homework: Spelling 3x.
• Religion 3/4: We took a break from rehearsing and spent today's religion time working on memory work. Sadly, many of us have been slacking on memory work! Please keep practicing and working on memory verses at home each night.
• Social Studies 3/4: We looked at a map of the Northwest Territory and then looked at several acts of Congress that changed the boundaries, until it ended up being what we now know as Indiana. This activity requires attention to detail and reading instructions carefully, something which all of the students seem to be struggling with lately. We will finish the activity on Thursday.
• PE 3/4: Volleyball with Mr. Bretscher.

Monday 4/6/09

• Math 3: We learned the multiples of 9 in class today. There is a very simple strategy for finding them, but eventually you will need to memorize them! Everyone finished their work in class today - no homework!
• Language Arts 3 and 4: We used the second half of the morning to rehearse for the Easter program, which is tomorrow night! Plan to arrive between 6:00 and 6:15 to get into costume and line up for the processional. Homework: Spelling words in ABC order.
• Religion 3/4: We used religion time today to work on the songs for the program.
• Science 3/4: We learned about plant parts, discussed two types of root systems, the function of the stem and leaves, and found out about photosynthesis. We also observed our lima bean plants and recorded information in our journals. Some are starting to sprout!
• We used the remaining afternoon time to finalize memorization of verses, and to practice reading our Scripture readings expressively.
• Remember to invite family and friends to the program tomorrow night!

Week of March 30 - April 3, 2009

Friday 4/3/09

• Math 3: We took a math test today.
• Language Arts 3 and 4: We took spelling test #27, read some library books related to our new literature unit, and had a "show and tell" time to share about our spring breaks.
• Religion 3/4: Again, we used religion time to rehearse for the Easter program, which takes place TUESDAY APRIL 7 at 6:30 p.m. Please make plans to attend and invite family and friends, maybe even someone who has never heard the story of Jesus' death and resurrection before! Homework: All students should have brought their songbooks so that they can finish memorizing the songs for the program. Also, readers should be rehearsing their scripture and be comfortable enough to read expressively.
• Science 3/4: We put together our science journals, observed our beans, and decorated the covers of our journals, which we'll be using to observe the bean plants we're trying to grow. It's only been two days and some are already starting to show signs of sprouting!
• Art 3/4: To go along with our science unit we decorated water bottles that we plan to use at school to replace disposable water bottles! Please hand wash the bottles this weekend and bring them back to school on Monday so that we can put them to good use. The bottles are NOT diswasher safe, neither are the decorations.

Thursday 4/2/09

• Math 3: Today we reviewed our division facts and learned how to multiply single digit numbers by any multiple of 10, 100, or 1,000. Everyone finished 109 A in class. Homework: 109B.
• Language Arts 3: Third graders read a story about Johnny Appleseed and discussed other stories they've heard about the legendary man. They also took a comprehension quiz. Homework: Study for spelling test tomorrow.
• Language Arts 4: Fourth graders worked on identifying important events and their effects while reading an informative piece on the settlement of Jamestown. They also took a comprehension quiz. Homework: Study for spelling test tomorrow.
• Religion 3/4: We used our religion time to rehearse for the Easter program.
• Social Studies 3/4: We finished watching the video from yesterday and discussed how Indiana's growth might have been different (more or less) if the Indians hadn't been pushed out of the area by the pioneer settlers.
• PE 3/4: Flag tag, outside, with Mr. Bretscher! :)

Wednesday 4/1/09

• Miss Bertschi is incredibly sorry for any hurt feelings that resulted from her April Fool's joke...she is NOT engaged, nor is she dating anyone. :(
• Math 3: Today we wrote number sentences for division story problems. The goal is to be able to solve these problems without drawing pictures, and if you study your dividing facts then that won't be difficult to do. Please make it a priority to study multiplication and division facts every night. Homework: 108 A/B.
• Language Arts 3: We worked with our Ananse story from yesterday to identify the steps in a process. Homework: Spelling sentences.
• Language Arts 4: We used our story from yesterday to get more practice with identifying the main idea and supporting details. We organized our thoughts using a graphic organizer. Homework: Spelling sentences.
• Science 3/4: We examined lima beans today and began a slightly long-term experiment. We are comparing the growth of whole lima beans as opposed to halved lima beans. Every few days we'll check for changes and record observations in our Growth Journal.
• Social Studies 3/4: We watched a video on Pioneer Indiana to kick off our next study: The time period of 1800-1851 in which Indiana became a state and began to develop into a thriving place. We also read a Scholastic News about the future of robot technology, the new Yankee Stadium in New York, and a sunken ship that was recently discovered.

Tuesday 3/31/09

• Math 3: This morning we used stones to act out, then draw pictures of division story problems. We then used those pictures to write division number sentences. Finally, we reviewed the three ways (three different symbols) to write a division problem. Homework: 107 A/B.
• Language Arts 3: We began our new literature unit, on Storytelling! The first story was a legend from Africa about how the Anansi stories came to be. Anansi was called the spider man and represents any small, weak person who defeats a seemingly impossible opponent - kind of like David and Goliath! We will take a look at other Anansi stories this week too. Homework: Spelling words 3x.
• Language Arts 4: We began our new literature unit, which is on Colonial America. Our first piece was a historical one called "Early America" and it told how the various people came to America. Homework: Spelling words 3x.
• Religion 3/4: We used religion and most of social studies time rehearsing our easter program.
• Social Studies 3/4: We used our remaining social studies time to learn our music for he easter program. Homework: Songbooks have bookmarks on the songs that students need to memorize this week!
• PE 3/4: Volleyball with Mr. Bretscher!

Monday 3/30/09

• Math 3: We reviewed dividing by 1, 3, and 4. We also spent most of the lesson learning how to add money amounts in the thousands, ten thousands, and hundred thousands. Then we worked on writing those large numbers in words and practiced writing checks again. Homework: 106 A/B.
• Language Arts 3 and 4: We took spelling pre-test #27 and then spent the rest of our lesson reviewing adjectives and adverbs. This is something that we've already been working on and still get a little confused when trying to remember that adjectives desribe NOUNS and adverbs describe VERBS. Most students finished the packet in class today but those who didn't need to complete is for homework tonight. Also, everyone has ABC order.
• Religion 3/4: We used our religion time this afternoon to begin the blocking for our easter program, which takes place one week and one day from today - that's next Tuesday! Please plan now to attend and invite aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins...anyone who you want to share the story of Jesus Christ with!
• Science 3/4: We are beginning a new unit on botany and will also begin working on a project to help us celebrate Earth Day, which is April 22. We spent our classtime today brainstorming and discussing options for our project that we'd like to involve the whole school in, and we also made a list of ways we can help protect the earth and "go green" at home.
• Music 3/4: This afternoon we worked on the songs that we will be singing during the Easter program next Tuesday. See you there!!

Week of March 16-20, 2009

Friday 3/20/09

• Math 3: We took a test today, then worked on brain teasers or read silently until everyone finished. Homework: STUDY multiplication facts over break - I will not be reteaching multiples of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, or 10 - we have learned them and practiced them in class and now it is your responsibility as the student to study and remember them.
• Language Arts 3: We took spelling tests and also worked with sensory description in the story that we read yesterday. Students tried their hand at writing sentences using sensory description to appeal to a specific sense.
• Language Arts 4: We took spelling tests and wrote the final copies of our creative writing pieces on our new inventions.
• Religion 3/4: We did a lot of memory work today and our lesson was on Nicodemus. Homework: Everyone has memory work to study over spring break, please find a few minutes each day to work on this!
• Science 3/4: This afternoon we spent class time presenting our projects on the nervous system. We saw many models, posters, and videos about the brain, dream cycles, nerve cells, and Alzheimer's disease. It was a very informative afternoon and fun to see everyone's different projects.
• Art 3/4: For art we made "Happy Spring" cards to send with our pen pal letters since today was the first day of spring.
• Classroom Supplies request: I'm asking each student to bring in 2 packages (10-pack)of YELLOW #2 pencils and 2 pink erasers after spring break. We have completely depleted our classroom supply and I'd like to start the last quarter off right with everyone fully stocked and supplied. Thanks for your cooperation, and have a great spring break!!

Thursday 3/19/09

• Math 3: We reviewed our multiplication facts and worked primarily with perpendicular line segments. We've already been introduced to them before but we are a bit rusty and still trying to remember the difference between parallel and perpendicular. Keep practicing those multiplication facts at home, and if you're not, you need to start! Homework: 105B.
• Language Arts 3: We journaled about spring break and then finished reading the story "Sunflowers for Tina." It was a fun piece about how sunflowers can bring life and light into dark, dead places. Homework: Study for spelling test! Also, pen pal letters MUST be finished tomorrow since we're going to spring break.
• Language Arts 4: We journaled about spring break and then worked more on our creative writing assignments. We are writing pieces describing a new invention and telling all about its abilities. Homework: Study for spelling test! Also, pen pal letters MUST be finished tomorrow since we're going to spring break.
• Religion 3/4:
• Social Studies 3/4: We worked on map skills today with reading charts and graphs. I saw that many students were struggling with reading the directions and following them (i.e. not reading them at ALL and then asking me what to do), so I gave them a quick demonstration of the importance of following directions. All of them failed the "test" and they became angry with me because they thought I had tricked them, but had they followed the directions they could have saved themselves a huge headache. If you get a change to work on directions (listening skills, following instructions, etc) at home, give it a try - we all need work in this area.
• PE 3/4: Kickball outside with Mr. Bretscher!

Wednesday 3/18/09

• Math 3: We worked with fact families today and practiced writing both multiplication and division problems - keep reinforcing this skill at home! Homework: 105 A.
• Language Arts 3: We had a shorter class today because of our field trip to the fairgrounds. Third graders began reading the story "Sunflowers for Tina," the last story in our literature unit on City Wildlife. We will finish the story tomorrow. Homework: Spelling sentences.
• Language Arts 4: Fourth graders worked on a creative writing piece today. To wrap up our Technology unit we are writing about a new invention. Students should be demonstrating their ability to write strong paragraphs and use descriptive words in their writing. Homework: Spelling sentences.
• During the afternoon we went to the fairgrounds for the Ag Day event. We learned a lot about sheep, goats, cows, rabbits, and horses from 4-H students and snacked on popcorn and milk. It was a beautiful day to be out and about and the students enjoyed the fresh air. We returned to school around 2:15 and enjoyed a short recess time since we didn't get one at lunch. Then we spent the rest of the afternoon journaling about the fair and working on homework. Those who were all caught up got to start on their Scholastic News skill sheet from yesterday, which involves reading a bar graph as well as comparing and contrasting. Homework: Finish the skill sheet if you didn't do it in class today.

Tuesday 3/17/09

• Math 3: Our new knowledge of numbers larger than 1,000 helped us with today's lesson: writing numbers larger than 1,000 in expanded form. Since we already knew how to write numbers in expanded form, all we had to learn was how to add in the thousands place. Many finished 104A in class and everyone did a timed oral fact sheet. Homework: 104A/B and Oral Facts 104.
• Language Arts 3: We worked with facts and opinions again today and are still having trouble telling the difference between the two. If you get a chance to point out a fact or opinion at home in a conversation with your child, please do so to help reinforce this idea! We also did a review activity to keep us sharp on our contractions. Homework: Spelling words 3x.
• Language Arts 4: Today we read the last story in our Technology unit, "Harvey and Higgins, Incorporated." It was interesting to see how the characters came up with creative ways to solve their problems. We also continued working with topic sentences and the concept of a main idea within a paragraph. This is a key skill in writing and we will be reinforcing it the rest of this week as fourth graders will complete a creative writing project. Homework: Spelling words 3x.
• Religion 3/4: We talked more about the life of Christ and learned today about the time when his family accidentally left him behind at the temple. We also shared the "Temple" acrostics that we wrote for homework. Homework: See assignment book or cover of religion book for specific memory work pages.
• Social Studies 3/4: We read our Scholastic News today since we will be gone tomorrow afternoon on our "Ag Day" field trip to the fairgrounds. The cover story was on a female shark keeper and we learned some of the requirements of her job. We also had a debate about cursive handwriting and whether students should still be required to learn it. Of course all the students would love to never have to write cursive again, and they don't yet grasp the fact that neat, legible handwriting (cursive OR print) speaks volumes about the writer and shows how much he or she care about the audience.
• Science 3/4: We did not have a science lesson today but this is a reminder that the nervous system projects are due FRIDAY, March 20, 2009. No late projects will be accepted.
• PE 3/4: Flag tag, OUTSIDE!! ...with Mr. Bretscher, as always. :)

Monday 3/16/09

• Math 3: We learned how to write numbers larger than 1,000 using words - keep practicing the spelling for number words if you are still struggling. We also learned how to multiply numbers by 100 and 1,000. The rule is simple: add two zeros to the number if you multiply by 100 and add three zeros to the number is you multiply by 1,000. Homework: 103 A/B.
• Language Arts 3: We took our spelling pre-test for list #26 and then read "City Critters," another informative piece about city wildlife. Homework: Spelling words in ABC order.
• Language Arts 4: We took our spelling pre-test for list #26 and then read "George Stephenson," another piece about technology. Homework: Spelling words in ABC order.
• Science 3/4: We talked about optical illusions today and explored a fun website that had lots of optical illusions for us to try out. We also talked about our end of the chapter project to wrap up the nervous system unit, and information came home today about the project. In the packet you will find the student's project proposal, a rubric showing how I will be grading the projects, suggestions on how to carry out the project, a form for recording internet sources, and a page that addresses your topic specifically. Students working on the Dreams topic will find a sample dream diary, and students working on the Nerve Cell project will find introductory information on the structure of the nerve cell. Please don't worry, this is meant to be a simple project (but should still be taken seriously). A mini-poster board is available for each student to use if desired. This project is due on FRIDAY, which is the last day before Spring Break and also the last day of the 3rd Quarter. Because of the timing, I have no choice but to assign a zero to anyone who does not turn in a project on Friday.
• Music 3/4: We practiced recorders and worked on learning new notes to help us play "The Lamb."
• Religion 3/4: Homework: page 157 and memory work.

Week of March 9-13, 2009

Friday 3/13/09

• Math 3: Today we took a test.
• Language Arts 3: We took spelling tests and then worked on pen pal letters.
• Language Arts 4: We took spelling tests and then worked on our Horse timelines.
• Science 3/4: We played a game of Jeopardy to review our unit on the nervous system and then took the chapter test.
• Religion 3/4: We watched the first few chapters of the book of Matthew to go along with what we've been studying lately, regarding the birth of Jesus and John the Baptist. Homework: Try to use this weekend to catch up on memory work!
• Art 3/4: WELL....we were going to have art but instead Miss Bertschi's family surprised us with a visit from Ohio and brought Spider-Man cupcakes for everyone, for her birthday. If your child has a blue tongue, thank Mr. and Mrs. Bertschi. :) Have a great weekend!

Thursday 3/12/09

• Math 3: We used yesterday's strategies for finding a missing addend for a sum of 100 to learn how to make and count back change for $1.00 using the least amount of coins possible. It was kind of a tricky concept so if you get a chance, try to work on counting back change with your child at home. We learned that we count back the smallest coins first. For example if we spent $0.76, we would count back 4 pennies and then 2 dimes. Homework: Finish 102 A/B and do oral facts 102.
• Language Arts 3: This morning we reviewed capitalization of proper nouns as well as the difference between proper and common nouns. We read a fun poem called "Raccoon" and used it in our cursive practice as we re-wrote the poem.
• Language Arts 4: We used notes we had taken from previous stories in our Technology literature unit to create a timeline showing the use of the horse as technology advanced.
• Religion 3/4:
• Social Studies 3/4: Primary and secondary sources were the topic of today's discussion and we examined a census from the year 1800. We will look more at it next week because we ran out of time in class today.
• PE 3/4: Volleyball with Mr. Bretscher.

Wednesday 3/11/09

• Math 3: Third graders learned how to find a missing addend for a sum of 100. There are several strategies for solving this type of problem, ranging from rounding the number to the nearest ten, to drawing a picture of base ten blocks, to simply subtracting the number from one hundred. Some finished the sheets in class, others didn't. Homework: 101 A/B.
• Language Arts 3: Today's story was called "City Superheroes," which told us about raccoons, rats, and other city dwelling animals. Homework: Spelling sentences!
• Language Arts 4: Fourth graders worked with identifying and writing topic sentences and supporting details. They also read "The Messenger," about the development of communication. Homework: Spelling sentences, and finish the Topic Sentence worksheet.
• Science 3/4: We spent most of the afternoon working on the conclusion of our science unit on the nervous system. It was interesting to discover that the human brain is very different from animal brains, but also has some similarities. However, animals cannot think on the same level as humans. We did several brain teasers and activities that required us reason and use logic, which showed us how smart we really are! There is no way our dogs could have solved the puzzles we did today. Finally, we completed the chapter review in class together. On Friday we will play Nervous System Jeopardy, take the chapter test, and discuss the projects we will be working on next week...details to come.

Tuesday 3/10/09

• Math 3: Today we learned multiples of 4! It sounded scary at first but we were surprised to find that we only learned three new facts: 6x4, 8x4, and 9x4. All the rest we've already learned when we studied multiples of 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, and 11! Cool! We also worked with parallel lines/line segments and the properties of quadrilaterals. Some finished their worksheets in class, others did not. Homework: 100 A and B.
• Language Arts 3: We read "Make Way for Ducklings," a fun story about a family of Mallard ducks who take up residence in the city of Boston! After taking a quiz about the story we worked more on our pen pal letters. We are trying to use our knowledge of topic sentences to write more cohesive paragraphs in our letters. Homework: Spelling words 3x.
• Language Arts 4: Fourth graders worked on using colons and semi-colons in writing, and continued to work on pen pal letters. Homework: Spelling words 3x.
• Religion 3/4: Our lesson was on Jesus' birth and we sang Christmas carols! We also worked on memory work and some students still need to catch up. Today's lessson was pages 152-153, see planner for individual assignments.
• Social Studies 3/4: We worked with a primary source today and used a map of the Indiana Territory to help George Rogers Clark decide where to go to gather troops!
• PE 3/4: Volleyball with Mr. Bretscher!

Monday 3/9/09

• Math 3: Today we used our new knowledge of mixed numbers to measure line segments to the nearest quarter inch. Because this is such a complex concept (measuring, fractions, etc.) it took up most of the morning but some did manage to finish their A paper in class. Homework: Finish 99A/B and complete oral facts 99. A homework pass may be used on one PAGE if desired.
• Language Arts 3: After taking our spelling pre-test we discussed topic sentences and the qualities of a good paragraph. We wrote topic sentences given a list of examples or details, and then we came up with our own topic sentence relating to school. We wrote sentences like, "I play at recess." or "I learned a lot in science." After coming up with the topic sentence, they then needed to write a short paragraph going into detail about their topic sentence. So if the topic sentence was "I play at recess," the paragraph needs to give examples of how you play at recess. Homework: Spelling words in ABC order, and finish the "topic sentence" paragraph. **a paragraph should have 3-5 sentences.
• Language Arts 4: Fourth graders took their spelling pretest and then read an excerpt from the novel "Black Beauty." It was interesting to read a story from the perspective of the horse, not a human. We took a comprehension quiz on the story and then worked on pen pal letters, which we will be finishing up this week. Homework: Spelling words in ABC order.
• Religion 3/4:
• Science 3/4: We learned about the autonomic nervous system today through several experiments. It was cool to watch our partner's pupils change size depending on whether the lights were on or off, and we also recorded our resting heart rates and breathing rates. The autonomic nervous system controls these types of involuntary movements, which are different than movements that we must learn, such as walking or talking.
• Music 3/4: We continue to work on recorders and are trying to learn the notes necessary to play the song "The Lamb" from our songbooks. Students have been given a fingering sheet with the notes highlighted, and the song can be found on page 229 of our chapel songbooks if you wish to practice at home.

Lutheran Schools Week: March 2-6, 2009

Notes for this week:

• Monday: Dr. Seuss Day - dress like a Seuss character, do your hair like a Who, etc.
• Tuesday: Clash Day - wear colors that don't match, mismatched shoes, etc.
• Wednesday: Fancy Dress Day - put on your Sunday best, and bring your manners!
• Thursday: Pajama Day - clean (and appropriate) pjs please...robes and slippers too!
• Friday: School Spirit Day and Field Trip - wear your purple shirt. All students must be at school no later than 7:45 a.m., and the bus will leave at 8:00 sharp.
• Saturday: Open House 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Please help us spread the word about Peace Lutheran School and encourage friends and neighbors with prospective students to attend. They will get to see the classrooms, meet the teachers, and learn more about our school.

Friday 3/6/09

• We had a great time at Beef & Boards today seeing "Sleeping Beauty"! The show was great and we enjoyed getting autographs and meeting the characters after the performance. The bus ride was long and many of us tried to nap on the way back to school...all in all, a great day! We returned to school around 12:30 and had pizza, then recess. After that our class spent some time writing in our journals, finished the spelling bee, and had art. Alina ended up winning the 4th grade bee, and so she competed against Kevin (3rd grade champ) for the title of Class Champion. Alina won! Congrats Alina, and good job everyone else! Our art time was spent creating pieces using only construction paper and glue - no scissors, no pencils, no crayons...it required us to think outside the box because we had to tear the paper rather than cut it but we made some really interesting and unique pieces! They'll be on display for open house. Don't forget to sign your squares slip - lately, many of us have been getting lazy about returning them on Monday morning. Have a great weekend!

Thursday 3/5/09

• Math 3: We worked with fractions greater than 1 and learned how to write mixed numbers. Fractional pattern blocks helped us visualize this concept and we will continue to practice next week. Keep working on those multiples of 3, because next week we're learning multiples of 4! Homework: 98B, if you didn't finish it in class.
• Language Arts 3 and 4: Today we held a spelling bee but it went so long that we weren't able to finish in class! Kevin is the 3rd Grade Champion but the 4th Grade Champion is yet to be decided: it was a neck and neck showdown between Craig or Alina! We'll finish tomorrow after the field trip, so check back tomorrow for results and also to find out who won the title of Class Champion.
• Religion 3/4: Three people earned necklaces for completing their memory work today! Congrats to Alizza, Ryan, and Alina. They began learning about John the Baptist and discussed the Magnificat, the song Mary sang upon finding out that she would bear the son of God. Homework: Page 149, and check your planner for your specific memory work assignment.
• Social Studies 3/4: We discussed the Code Noir, a set of rules written by the French used to control the African-American slaves in their territory. We found the Code to be much less harsh than other stories we've heard about slavery, but at the same time we all agreed that slavery was not a positive experience for anyone.
• PE 3/4: Badminton with Mr. Bretscher!

Wednesday 3/4/09

• Math 3: Today in class we learned how to tell time to the quarter hour. Many students were surprised to learn that a quarter after three does not mean 3:25, but 3:15! We learned how to read time as quarter past/quarter after and quarter to/quarter of the hour. This is going to be a tricky concept to remember so try to reinforce this at home when possible. Also, continue memorizing the multiples of 3. Homework: 97B and oral facts 97.
• Language Arts 3: Third graders read two fun poems today about worms and pigeons, then the practiced cursive handwriting by copying the poem into cursive. We're still trying to remember how to form many of these letters but from here on out we will be using cursive as much as possible in order to reinforce the skill and improve our writing. Homework: Spelling sentences.
• Language Arts 4: Fourth graders read "Thrashin' Time" and worked with facts and opinions within the story. We talked about how facts can be proved, and they are always true. Opinions, on the other hand, are personal beliefs and are not always true for every person. Homework: Spelling sentences.
• Scholastic News: Today's paper focused on Hilary Rodham Clinton and her new role on the President's cabinet as Secretary of State. She is the first Secretary who was also a First Lady! We also read articles on the migration of the monarch butterflies from Mexico, which happens in March (that's a lot of M's!!), and a new airplane called the Transition that can change into a car in 15 seconds! We worked with facts and opinions and practiced reading a table of contents. Homework: Finish the Scholastic News skills sheet if you didn't do so in class.
• Science 3/4: We talked about the brain and learned about the cerebrum, cerebellum, and the brain stem and the functions each part of the brain is responsible for. We also talked about the left and right hemispheres and thought it was interesting that the right side of the body is controlled by the left hemisphere, and vice versa. We took a handedness test and also did an activity to demonstrate how fleeting short term memory really is!
• We also spent time this afternoon writing letters to our penpals at Vienna Christian School!

Tuesday 3/3/09

• Math 3: We learned how to subtract money amounts across zeros (example: $5.00 - 2.48). This type of problem requires you to regroup twice and can be tricky if you don't keep your numbers lined up. We also talked about the importance of lining up the decimal point when adding or subtracting money amounts. Please practice your multiples of 3 this week since we just learned it and many still need to learn them. Homework: 96B.
• Language Arts 3: Third graders read an interesting piece called "Urban Roosts" that told us all about the different types of birds that live in the city and the unique places where they make their nests. Some of those birds are very creative! Homework: Spelling words 3x in very best handwriting.
• Language Arts 4: Fourth graders reviewed verbs and the spelling rules for changing a verb into past tense. Some of them are tricky, such as when to drop the -y and add -ied and when NOT to drop the -y...so we will continue to review these rules. We also read "The Wonderful Machine," an excerpt from the Little House on the Prairie series. Homework: Spelling words 3x in very best handwriting.
• Religion 3/4: We continued to practice our memory work. Our lesson was on John the Baptist. Homework: See planner for specific memory work assignments.
• Social Studies 3/4: We concluded our Fur Trade simulation and used some exchange rates that were actually used in the 18th century to convert all our "goods" into beaver pelts. Then we compared our own exchange rates with the actual ones and found that some of us got quite a good deal on our goods while others basically got "ripped off." We discussed the pros and cons of bartering and decided we'd rather use money and standard rates to buy things rather than have prices changing all the time.
• PE 3/4: Pickleball with Mr. Bretscher!

Monday 3/2/09

• Math 3: Third graders learned multiples of 3 today, and we also talked about weight and mass using terms like ounces, pounds, tons, grams, and kilograms. Students are responsible to know how many ounces in a pound, how many pounds in a ton, and how many grams in a kilogram. Some finished all the work in class, others did not. Homework: Finish any part of 95 A/B that is not complete.
• Language Arts 3: We read a story called "Fly High, Fly Low" about pigeons in San Francisco. We also got to read a Dr. Seuss story called "Horton Hatches an Egg" in honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday. Homework: Spelling words in ABC order.
• Language Arts 4: We read an informational piece called "The Workhorse" and took notes on how the use of the horse has been affected by technological advances. We will be constructing a timeline throughout the week as we read a few more stories about horses and technology. We also got to read a Dr. Seuss story called "Horton Hatches an Egg" in honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday. Homework: Spelling words in ABC order.
• Religion 3/4:
• Science 3/4: We conducted two experiments today to test the sensitivity to touch of several body parts - our back, shoulder, knee, cheek, and hand - palm and finger tip. We learned that the fingers and face are the most sensitive, while the back and shoulder were least sensitive. We also learned about two types of nerves: sensory nerves and motor nerves. They both play different roles - ask your child to explain the difference.
• Music 3/4: We continue learning new songs on the recorder! Some students have taken on the challenge of learning to play a song from our chapel songbooks...but remember to do your other homework before practicing!

Week of February 23-27, 2009

REMINDER: Lutheran Schools Week will kick off THIS SUNDAY, March 1, here at Peace Lutheran Church. All students are expected to attend with their families and participate in the service (we will be singing) with their classmates as a way to show the community what we are all about here at Peace Lutheran School. Please make plans to attend!

Friday 2/27/09

• Math 3: We completed part two of yesterday's two-day fraction lesson and then were able to begin our math test around 9:20 a.m. Those who finished the math test early were able to get a head start on tonight's homework. We have some extra work to do this weekend in order to make up for missing next Friday, when we will be going on a school field trip. Homework: 94 A and B. A homework pass may be used on one PAGE, not the whole packet.
• Language Arts 3: Third graders took spelling tests and also took a quiz on yesterday's piece on City Lots. Then they worked independently to read "Linnea's Almanac," a short piece about January. Homework: Read, or finish reading, "Linnea's Almanac", pages 120-123.
• Language Arts 4: Fourth graders worked more with cause and effect as well as character development (thoughts and feelings). They also took a spelling test and a comprehension quiz on the story "You Never Can Tell."
• Religion 3/4: Many students got caught up on their memory work today and we had a good time increasing our speed with Bible races.
• Art 3/4: We used white crayons and watercolor paints to make resist paintings in spring scenes. Anywhere we colored with the white crayon would stay white even after painting over it because the wax in the crayon repels the water-based paint.
• We also spent some time this afternoon "spring cleaning" the classroom and getting it ready for potential visitors in preparation for Lutheran Schools Week next week.

Thursday 2/26/09

• Math 3: Today we used strips of paper to represent fractions with denominators of 2, 3, 4, and 8. We compared and ordered them from least to greatest, and we also learned how to add and subtract fractions with the same denominator. This is a two part lesson which we will conclude tomorrow before we take our math test. Everyone finished their homework in class today so there is no homework!
• Language Arts 3: We read "City Lots" about the various types of lots in the city and what you can find there. It was an interesting read, and we worked on cursive handwriting afterwards. Today we did capital W and X. Homework: Spelling sentences.
• Language Arts 4: Miss Bertschi attempted to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches using the directions they had written out, but sadly the sandwiches didn't turn out. After realizing that there needed to be many more details in describing the process, students wrote new directions that (for the most part) resulted in edible sandwiches. It was a fun (and funny) visual lesson on the importance of details and describing words in writing! Homework: Spelling sentences.
• Social Studies 3/4: We conducted a simulation today and assumed the roles of Miami Indians and French Fur Traders. Without talking, and then only using one word, we attempted to barter otter and beaver pelts for supplies like guns, knives, blankets, and other European luxuries. It was interesting how we worked around the communication barrier.
• PE: Badminton with Mr. Bretscher!

Wednesday 2/25/09

• Math 3: We worked more today on subtracting two- and three-digit numbers. Some of us are still struggling with remembering when we need to regroup and when we don't, but that will come with more practice! Students had a hard time staying on task today so most of us have some homework tonight. Homework: Finish lesson 92 A/B.
• Language Arts 3: We are doing a writing assignment for Lutheran Schools Week about what we like about our school, and we spent some time in class today working on that. We also reviewed prepositions and searched for sentences containing them in yesterday's story. Homework: Spelling words 3x AND finish your writing assignment about PLS.
• Language Arts 4: We are doing a writing assignment for Lutheran Schools week about what we like about our school, and we spent some time in class today working on that. We also read another story in our Technology unit called "You Never Can Tell." Homework: Spelling words 3x AND finish your writing assignment about PLS.
• Social Studies 3/4: We began a new study on Frontier Indiana by watching a short video and trying to assemble a timeline of what happened in the early 1700s here in Indiana. We talked a lot about the French fur traders as well as the French and Indian War.
• Scholastic News: Today's paper was about a new group of wild animals discovered along the Mekong River in Asia. There were some fascinating creatures discovered and the WWF is trying to protect them from becoming extinct. We also read about Daylight Savings Time as well as the Grand Canyon celebrating its 90th birthday.
• Science 3/4: With everyone getting sick lately we did an experiment today to show how effective or ineffective various methods are for killing germs on our hands. We used glitter to represent germs and tried many ways to get rid of them: wiping with a paper towel, using hand sanitizer, running them under cold water, and scrubbing them with soap and hot water. We found the hot soapy water method to be most effective and it was a fun visual reminder of the importance of hand washing and being wise about what we let into our bodies.

Tuesday 2/24/09

• Math 3: We learned how to subtract two- and three-digit numbers today. We already know how to subtract with regrouping so it was a bit of a review, but we can always use the extra practice! Almost everyone finished all their work in class today! Homework: Finish lesson 91.
• Language Arts 3: We read the first story in our new literature unit, which is on City Wildlife. It will be interesting to learn how city wildlife contrasts with the wildlife we read about in our Country Life unit. Today's story was called "The Boy Who Didn't Believe in Spring." Homework: Spelling words in ABC order.
• Language Arts 4: After reading two pieces on ancient technology we completed a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting the technnology used to build both the Great Pyramids and the Great Wall of China. We also worked some more on our process writing skills and will be putting our instructions to the test this week as we use our own written instructions to attempt to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Homework: Spelling words in ABC order AND write instructions for how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
• Religion 3/4: We talked more about the story of Daniel and continued to work on our memory work. See your child's planner for his or her specific pages to work on.
• Science 3/4: After reviewing yesterday's lesson on the nervous system we watched a School House Rock video that compared the nervous system to a telegraph line! It was a good visual and helped us better understand the concept. We also did a fun experiment in which we put each of our five senses to a test and found that they did very well!
• PE 3/4: Volleyball with Mr. Bretscher!

Monday 2/23/09

• Math 3: We used the terms certain, likely, 50-50 chance, unlikely, and impossible to describe the likelihood of an event and conducted probability trials using various spinners. We also reviewed the three ways to write a division problem and learned the fact families for dividing by 2, 5, and 7. Homework: Finish lesson 90.
• Language Arts 3: We took a spelling pre-test then worked some more on our Venn diagrams comparing the country mouse to the city mouse. We also read "How Does Your Garden Grow?" about the roles gardens played in the lives of early settlers. Homework: Use a dictionary to find the definition of each spelling word - this week we have homophones so we need to know how to use these words correctly.
• Language Arts 4: We took a spelling pre-test and then worked with interesting verbs. We spiced up a paragraph that used the word "moved" in every sentence by replacing it with more interesting verbs such as "leapt" or "slithered." We also read a story about the technology involved in the building of the Great Wall of China. Homework: Use a dictionary to find the definitions of each spelling word - this week we have homophones to we need to know how to use these words correctly. Also, finish the interesting verbs skill sheet.
• Music 3/4: We worked on our recorders songs and also began learning the words to the two new verses of "Life is a Journey" that the 5th and 6th graders wrote. Please make plans to attend the School Family Worship THIS SUNDAY, when we will be singing the new verses!
• Science 3/4: We began a new unit today on the nervous system. We learned that the nervous system is composed of the brain, spinal cord, and the nerves. More to come as we learn more about the awesome bodies our Creator God gave us!
• Religion 3/4:

Week of February 16-20, 2009

Friday 2/20/09

• Math 3: We took a test this morning, then worked on math puzzles.
• Language Arts 3: We took spelling tests and also read "The Country Mouse and The City Mouse" to learn about comparing and contrasting. Homework: Daniel and Alizza didn't finish the skill sheet during class.
• Language Arts 4: We took spelling tests and worked on process writing some more. We peer edited our first drafts and will work more with this next week. Homework: Write a second rough draft for Monday, writing on every other line.
• Religion 3/4: We talked more about the book of Daniel and heard about how he was thrown in the lion's den for refusing to bow down to anyone but God, but God protected him and used him to change the king's heart. Homework: Everyone but Laurie, Craig, and Kevin still have memory work that they need to catch up on - let's try to get it done this weekend!
• Art 3/4: In our continuing discussion on African American History Month, we read a bio on Jan Ernst Matzeliger, an immigrant from Dutch Guiana who revolutionized the shoe industry in the 1800s. To celebrate his work we used the soles of our shoes to create crayon rubbings and experimented with textures that we found in the classroom.

Thursday 2/19/09

• Math 3: This morning we spent some time learning to find the sum in problems with three addends. Since we are already addition experts, we found adding three addends to be just as easy as adding two addends. Everyone finished 89 A and B in class. Homework: Oral Facts 89.
• Language Arts 3: We finished reading "Whatever Happened to the Baxter Place?" and took a quiz, then we used the rest of class time to catch up on any unfinished assignments in our literature folder. Homework: Spelling sentences, and study for the test!
• Language Arts 4: Students read the first story in our new literature unit, Technology. The piece was about how the Pyramids were built and was a great example of writing that described a process. We will be working on a lot of writing projects during this unit and will begin with writing our own "process" piece. Homework: Spelling sentences and study for test!
• Religion 3/4: We did some memory work and learned about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the book of Daniel. Homework: Specific memory work assignments are listed in each person's planner.
• Social Studies 3/4: After learning about lines of lattitude, lines of longitude were very easy. We learned about the eastern and western hemispheres and found that the continent of Africa touches all four hemispheres! We also discussed the Prime Meridian, which is 0 degrees longitude. A few students finished all the workbook pages today but many did not. Homework: Finish any missing pages in 57-61.
• PE 3/4: Volleyball with Mr. Bretscher!

Wednesday 2/18/09

• Math 3: Our work with arrays yesterday helped us today as we learned about area. We were able to use the same number sentence to find area that we used to solve the array. This concept will test our multiplication skills so find a set of flashcards and practice those facts! Everyone completed all their work today, so no homework!
• Language Arts 3: We read the first part of a story called, "Whatever Happened to the Baxter Place," which tells the story of how a once large family farm was eventually put out of use due to technology, modernization, and changing times. Homework: Spelling words 3x.
• Language Arts 4: We read an informative piece today about slavery and how slaves used music to inspire hope and survive their terrible times. Homework: Spelling words 3x.
• Social Studies 3/4: This afternoon we learned about lines of lattitude on the globe. We learned that the earth is divided into two hemispheres and that the Equator lies on the 0 degree line. We did several activities in our workbook to enforce this concept and will learn about lines of longitude later this week.
• Scholastic News 3/4: The title piece of this weeks' paper was about earthquakes and spotlighted the May 2008 quakes that devastated China. We also read articles about Black History Month and a cute story about scientists who used teddy bears to test new space suit designs in outer space.
• Music 3/4: Those who completed all their work were able to spend some time working on their two recorder songs, "Aura Lee" and "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."

Tuesday 2/17/09

• Math 3: We learned how to draw and label an array as well as how to write number sentences to go along with them. An array is an orderly arrangement of objects in the shape of a rectangle, and they are designed to help us learn and remember our multiplication facts. Everyone finished 87A in class. Homework: 87B and oral facts 87.
• Language Arts 3/4: We took our spelling pre-tests this morning and spent some time journal writing. The rest of class time was spent browsing the Usborne books and selecting the ones we wished to order with our fundraising money. Three people still need to bring their forms and money in NO LATER THAN TOMORROW. Homework: Spelling words in ABC order.
• Religion 3/4: We continued with our memory work and Bible races. We also read in Jeremiah and talked about God's comfort during sad times. Everyone except Craig and Laurie have memory work to catch up on - see your planner for your specific assignments.
• Science 3/4: Our chapter review was completed today on force and motion. We worked a little more with simple machines and read some books that go into more detail about each specific machine.
• PE 3/4: Volleyball with Mr. Bretscher!

Monday 2/16/09 - President's Day! No School!