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!