Newsletter: October 2-15

Literacy

Reading Workshop: Nonfiction Unit of Study
We continue to examine the different text structures authors use to present information. The five text structures we are focusing on are description (main idea/supporting detail), chronological order, problem-solution, cause and effect, and compare and contrast. Understanding these text structures helps readers sort through information and determine what is important.

October Genre of the Month: Literary Nonfiction
This month, students will be expected to read and summarize at least one literary nonfiction book as part of our Forty Book Challenge. During the month of October, they are asked to read their selected book and complete a brief summary/reader's response in their Reader's Notebook. All entries should be completed in their Reader's Notebook and turned in to Mrs. Cioni no later than October 31. Be sure to take a moment and ask your child how this style of writing differs from September's Genre of the Month, reference nonfiction.

Writer's Workshop: The Writing Process
We continue to work through our second unit, The Writing Process. In this unit, students have selected a piece of writing they wrote in our first unit, and are learning about the process of editing and revising their work for publication. All stories are expected to be published by October 10, and we will be have a writing celebration in class on October 11.

Word Study: Words Their Way
With the initial spelling placement inventory complete, we are ready to begin Word Study. Word Study practice will take place in class on a two-week rotating schedule. Students will spend two weeks practicing their words through various word sort and word meaning activities. There is no required weekly homework for Word Study, unless a student does not finish the day's activity in class. A copy of the words will be sent home in case you choose to do additional practice with the words at home. Each day of the week, I will be working with a different group assessing what they've learned and modeling new sorts. Each group will have their word study test on their assigned day with me. Tests will occur every other week, which will be indicated to you on the home copy of their word list. For the assessment, students will not only be asked to spell the word correctly, but will be expected to sort the words correctly by sound, spelling pattern, or word meaning depending on the sort. We will be modeling this routine in class this week, and expect to start groups next week.

Math

Unit 3: Whole Number Multiplication and Division
In this unit, students will be learning to multiply by a 2-digit number. They will also be learning to divide by a 1-digit number. Students are asked to practice their basic facts every night for 5-10 minutes.

Advanced Math

Unit 2: Whole Number Multiplication and Division
In this unit, students will be learning to use rules and strategies to multiply and divide multi-digit numbers. Students will also learn to use order of operations to evaluate numeric expressions. Students should be practicing their basic facts every night for 5-10 minutes. There is a test scheduled on Unit 2 on Thursday, October 10.

Unit 3: Adding and Subtracting Fractions and Mixed Numbers
In this unit, students will be learning to make equivalent fractions, and how to add and subtract fractions and mixed numbers.

Science: Our Geosphere

Students have been busy learning about plate tectonics and what happens at convergent, divergent, and transform plate boundaries. We have learned how mountains form, as well as analyzed data to look for any patterns in volcanic and earthquake activity related to plate movement. We will finish the unit this week by exploring fossil formation. There will be a quiz on these concepts on Friday, October 4.

Our unit will culminate with our National Park project in the LMC. This project will have students researching national parks in the US, the processes that formed them, and the landforms that can be enjoyed there today. They will share what they learn by creating a broadcast (with green screen technology) from their national park. This project will conclude with a Mystery Skype with a park ranger from one of the national parks we study.

Social Studies: Diversity in the United States

Next week, we will begin our first social studies unit, exploring diversity in the United States. The remainder of the year we will be going on a tour of the US by region starting with the Northeast, moving onto the Southeast, then to the Midwest, and finishing the year with the Southwest and West. The focus of our lessons will be to learn about how climate, geography, and natural resources influence the way people live from the different life styles and recreation to the varying economy and jobs of a region. As we go on this tour of the US, we will be taking some time to explore our own way of life right here in Illinois.

Upcoming Events...

October 8 VIP/Book Talk: Ally
October 10 Happy Birthday, Ally!
October 14 No School: Columbus Day/SIP Day
October 15 Monday Schedule
October 15 VIP/Book Talk: No VIP scheduled
October 18 Pumpkin Patch

Newsletter: September 18-October 1

Literacy

Reading Workshop: Nonfiction Unit of Study
Next week will begin our Nonfiction Unit of Study by learning about different types of nonfiction- literary nonfiction, biography, and reference nonfiction. Students will go on a nonfiction scavenger hunt to see how well they can identify the types of nonfiction books. Students will browse through books, identify the topic, and make observations about how information is presented. As we move forward, we will be looking at a variety of nonfiction text features authors include and how these features help us, as readers, understand the text better.

By the end of September we will have completed the last of our benchmark and beginning of the year assessments- fluency checks, comprehension checks, spelling assessments, and MAP testing. This information will be used to form reading groups and word study groups for the first part of the year beginning in October.

Students will have their first spelling test on Tuesday, September 24. Each student has a unique list of up to 20 high frequency words that was created based on words the student misspelled on the high frequency word assessment. Their lists can be found in their assignment notebooks on this week's page. We will be working with high frequency words for 2 weeks until we are ready to begin our Words Their Way routine in early October. Weekly vocabulary words will also become part of word study throughout the year. Five new words will be introduced each week starting next week.

September Genre of the Month: Reference Nonfiction
Students have selected a reference nonfiction book from the library as part of our Forty Book Challenge. During the month of September, they are asked to read their selected book and complete a brief summary/reader's response in their Reader's Notebook. All entries should be completed in their Reader's Notebook and turned in to Mrs. Cioni no later than September 30.

Writer's Workshop: The Writing Process
As we wrap up "The Writing Community" unit this week, we will begin a two-week unit called "The Writing Process". In this unit, students will select a piece of writing they wrote in our first unit and learn about the process of editing and revising their work for publication.

Math

Unit 2: Estimation and Number Theory
In this unit, students will be learning about factors and multiples. They will learn to estimate products and quotients, and how to multiply multi-digit numbers using models. Students should be practicing their basic facts every night for 5-10 minutes. There is a tentative test scheduled for Friday, September 27.

Advanced Math

Unit 2: Whole Number Multiplication and Division
In this unit, students will be learning to use rules and strategies to multiply and divide multi-digit numbers. Students will also learn to use order of operations to evaluate numeric expressions. Students should be practicing their basic facts every night for 5-10 minutes.

Science: Our Geosphere

This week, students have been learning about the processes of weathering, erosion, and deposition with river table investigations. There will be a quiz on the first four lessons of the unit on Thursday, September 19. In addition to the study guide that came home on Tuesday, students are encouraged to check out the homepage of the class website for our Twitter feed. The class Twitter feed has photos and videos of some of the investigations we did in class. Being able to explain what they learned through these investigations is a great way to review the concepts of abrasion, weathering, erosion, and deposition.

Next week we will learning about Earth's moving plates, the different types of plate boundaries, and earthquakes.

Upcoming Events...

September 24 VIP/Book Talk: Patricia

September 27 Happy Birthday, Patricia!
September 27 One Book, One School Assembly to reveal this year's book

September 30 School Picture Day

October 1 VIP/Book Talk: George

Weekly Reflection: September 6

Reporters: Lauren and Anthony
Photographer: Matt

We worked with rocks this week. We hit them with a granite grinder. 

The pumice (left) broke off more easily than the sandstone (right).

This week in class...

This week in science we learned about abrasion. Abrasion is when two rocks grind together. We did a lab and experimented with grinding two rocks together.

In reading, we read Tea with Milk and The Bicycle Man  and we learned how to write  about books we read in our Reader's Notebook.

Newsletter: September 4-17

Literacy

Reading Workshop: Getting to Know Ourselves as Readers
The Launch Unit of Schoolwide allows us to establish routines for our reading workshop this year. Mini lessons focus on helping to get to know ourselves as readers. Strategies and skills are modeled through read aloud and students are given a chance to practice those strategies and skills independently. I will be using the next three weeks to assess the students' reading levels through benchmarking. This information will be used to form reading groups for the first part of the year.

September Genre of the Month: Reference Nonfiction
On Thursday, students will have the opportunity to select a reference nonfiction book from the library as part of our Forty Book Challenge. During the month of September, they are asked to read their selected book and complete a brief summary/reader's response in their Reader's Notebook. All entries should be completed in their Reader's Notebook and turned in to Mrs. Cioni no later than September 30.

Writer's Workshop: The Writing Community
The first unit in Becoming a Writer focuses on developing a writing community within our classroom. During mini lessons, students are exposed to examples of good writing through read alouds and many are inspired to write stories in a similar way. As we read and discuss our read alouds, we have started lists of things to write about in our Ideas Notebook. Many students have already begun working on their first piece!

Math

Unit 1: Working with Whole Numbers
Students are learning about numbers to 100,000, comparing large numbers, and reviewing addition and subtraction of multi-digit numbers. There is a tentative test scheduled for Tuesday, September 10.

Unit 2: Estimation and Number Theory
In this unit, students will be learning about factors and multiples. They will learn to estimate products and quotients, and how to multiply multi-digit numbers using models.

Advanced Math

Unit 1: Whole Numbers
Students in Advanced Math have been learning about place value to the ten millions, rounding and estimating with large numbers, and comparing large numbers. There is a test scheduled for Friday, September 6.

Unit 2: Whole Number Multiplication and Division
In this unit, students will be learning to use rules and strategies to multiply and divide multi-digit numbers. Students will also learn to use order of operations to evaluate numeric expressions.

Science: Our Geosphere

Our science unit begins by exploring ways in which the Earth's landscape can change. This week, students are investigating how abrasion weathers rocks. Next week, they will be further developing their definitions of the terms abrasion, weathering, erosion, and deposition through experiments with glaciers in the classroom. In the final lesson of this cluster, students will continue to learn about these processes with river table investigations. There will be a quiz on the first four lessons of the unit on Thursday, September 19.

Upcoming Events...

September 2 No School: Labor Day

September 4 Final day to place orders through Scholastic

September 6 Back to School Bash 6:30 PM

September 10 VIP/Book Talk: Mrs. Cioni

September 11 Music for Youth Assembly

September 16 Happy Birthday, Patrick!

September 17 VIP/Book Talk: Patrick

Newsletter: August 22-30

Mrs. Cioni’s Class

4-3

Website: mrscionisclass.weebly.com

Email: ccioni@sd25.org

Welcome Back!

Welcome back to what will hopefully be another great year at Patton. This year will be filled with many exciting activities and projects centered around our geosphere, energy transfers, waves, the regions of the US, and our government and economy. Fourth graders will learn more about multiplication and division, and become reading detectives as we continue the journey of becoming lifelong readers. The next ten months will surely be an adventure. Please feel free to call me or email me if you have any questions. I look forward to meeting everyone at Curriculum Night on Wednesday, August 28.

Just a Few Notes...

As you have heard from the front office, there is a designated time to drop off school supplies and see the classroom on Wednesday, August 21 from 2:40-3:20 PM. For anyone not able to make it, bring your supplies with you on the first day. Pre-ordered kits have been delivered to the classroom and are waiting for those of you who ordered them. In addition to purchased school supplies, your child will need to bring back their HEADPHONES and RECORDER from 3rd grade. Both will be used again this year.

Students are allowed to bring water bottles into the classroom. I ask that they fill their bottles at home in the morning before they come to school. They will have the opportunity to refill them as needed throughout the day. WATER ONLY will be allowed in the classroom. Please do not send flavored water or sports drinks in the water bottles.

Students are encouraged to bring a healthy snack to school to have during morning snack to tide us over until lunchtime. The lunch hour begins at 12:10, with fourth graders eating third shift at 12:50. Please be reminded that school policy indicates only fresh fruits and vegetables in their own skin will be allowed in the classroom at snack time.

If you need to send money to school for hot lunch, PTA, or anything else, please send money in an envelope with your child's name, room number (4-3), and where the money should go.

In the newsletter I will list the names of those students who will be celebrating birthdays in the upcoming weeks. Those who have birthdays in the summer can celebrate their half birthdays during the school year. Please be reminded that birthday treats are not allowed at school. We will be sending out some suggestions of non-food ways to celebrate your child's birthday if you choose.

Parent Homework: Parent-Teacher communication is key to your child's success. I am asking that each parent take a few minutes to complete the "About My Child" form coming home in backpack mail on the first day. I am requesting that forms be returned to me by August 30. Your input is valuable to me as I get to know your child these first few weeks. Thank you.

Last but not least, students will have the opportunity to purchase books from the Scholastic book order forms. I will send home two order forms each month from which you may select books. If you choose to buy books, please include a check made out to Scholastic. PLEASE DO NOT SEND ANY CASH TO SCHOOL for book orders. There is also a link on my webpage under "For Parents" if you prefer to order online with a credit card.

Upcoming Events...

August 18 Happy Birthday, George! (to be celebrated August 23)

August 28 Curriculum Night 6:30-7:10 PM for Grades 3-5, 7:20-8:00 PM for Grades K-2

September 2 No school: Labor Day

The Final Six Days...

Monday, June 3

SIX to FIVE COUNTDOWN: Backboard Dodgeball

-Colonial Williamsburg in-house field trip (Part 1)

-Summer Keyboarding Challenge with Mrs. Corley

Tuesday, June 4

FIVE to FIVE COUNTDOWN: Class Picnic

-Colonial Williamsburg in-house field trip (Part 2)

Wednesday, June 5

FOUR to FIVE COUNTDOWN: Breakout from the Underground Railroad

-Cultural Arts Assembly: American Grove Evolution

-Happy Birthday, Cayla!

-Writing Celebration
-Personalized Learning Projects: 4-3's Got Talent Presentations Part 1

Thursday, June 6

THREE to FIVE COUNTDOWN: Board Games

-Bring a board game to share and play with classmates.

-SPIRIT DAY: Apply sunscreen/bug spray at home & dress for the weather

-Personalized Learning Projects: 4-3's Got Talent Presentations Part 2

-Happy Birthday, Adam! (June 19)

Friday, June 7

TWO to FIVE COUNTDOWN: Wet Head Game (Dress appropriately)

-Happy Birthday, Vanessa! (June 22)

-Last day of math instruction

-Reading Buddies Farewell

-Bring an empty bag and empty backpack to bring home school supplies and projects.

-Please make sure all books and textbooks have been returned to school.

Monday, June 10

(Last day of school/Full day of attendance)

ONE to FIVE COUNTDOWN: Minute-to-Win It Challenges

-Awards Assembly

-Yearbook signing

-Report cards emailed home

-Summer vacation begins at 3:35pm!  

Weekly Reflection: December 7

Reporters: Reese and Adam

Photographer: Henry

This a pull back car. We played with it to observe the energy transfers. Motion energy changed to elastic energy, which changed to motion energy and sound energy. 

This week in class:

For science we are learning about energy in action and stored energy, and energy transfers. The forms of energy that we learned about were: electrical, sound, heat, light, motion, elastic, chemical and gravitational energy. If we sorted them into categories then elastic, chemical and gravitational energy would be in stored energy, and electrical, motion, sound, light and heat would be energies in action. The definition of energy is things that are happening now, and the definition of stored energy is things that are not doing anything but waiting to be done/used.