Book Reviews

For the next month, we will be working on an author study of Chris Van Allsburg and writing book reviews. Check out some of the reviews written by students on this site.

http://www.spaghettibookclub.org/

Reading Challenge

We did it! Students at West Grand met their goal for the Spring Reading Challenge. To celebrate, the elementary school will have a pajama day on Tuesday, May 8. As students choose their pajamas, please keep in mind we will still participate in recess and specials.

Students have also been invited to a special karaoke performance by Mrs. Kelly Martin. Mrs. Martin will sing a song recommended by students (we're hoping for a Justin Bieber song) at an assembly on pajama Tuesday at 3:00.

Reading & Rec Center

Thank you for encouraging your kids to read as we participate in our Reading Challenge. Reading slips will be available in the classroom or at the office. To celebrate reading, West Grand Elementary School will be hosting a Family Literacy Night on Tuesday, April 17. We will begin at 5:00pm in the library and end at 7:00pm. Any student who participates will receive double minutes for the reading challenge. The Scholastic Book Fair will also be open on that night. Come and celebrate reading with us!

Students who earned 22 or more CSAP/TCAP tickets will be going to the Fraser Rec Center on April 18. Please watch the Buckaroo News for additional information.

Book Talk: Titanic

Here are some links to explore and learn about the sinking of the RMS Titanic.

National Geographic Explorer: Titanic
RMS Titanic Photos
Titanic Timeline
KidsKonnect: Titanic

Book Talk Extensions

Today, Maya gave two book talks that sparked some conversation and interest in more background information. The books she read were Live Free or Die which was a biography of Harriet Tubman and The Boy in the Striped Pajamas which was a story of a young German boy and a Jewish boy who lived in a Nazi prison camp. Below are several links to explore these topics a bit further. I will try to add more as I find them.

The Underground Railroad
The Holocaust
Children of the Holocaust
KidsConnect: The Holocaust

Online Library

A fantastic new website has come across my computer screen. We Give Books provides an online library for students and also donates one book to different literacy foundations for every book that is read online. Click here for more information. I have created a class account so students can help give books to kids who need them. Our username is Ainslie4, and our password is buckaroo. Students may browse all books or check out some of the nonfiction books I've added to our library. Please continue to add your favorite books to our library so others can find them as well.

Happy reading!

Student News

One of our goals in 4th grade is to help students develop a larger world view. One of the tools we use to achieve this goal is Scholastic News. Every other week, our class receives a new edition of the news magazine. As wonderful as Scholastic News is, there are several other news sources appropriate for students. In addition to current event stories, many of these sites offer enrichment and review activities that focus on a wide variety of skills.

4Kids.org is a weekly newspaper feature and web site produced at the University of Kansas by a team of teachers and students.
TimeForKids has a little bit of everything. There are news stories that range from world new to sports and entertainment. There is also a section called Kid Reporters where students are the reporters. (Check out this section to learn about Rick Riordan's newest book The Son of Neptune.) There is also a Homework Helper section where students (or parents) can get academic support.
ScholasticNews takes students further into topics brought up in the classroom magazine. Articles are written at appropriate reading level for students. There are also several links for students to explore.

October Homework Calendar

It's October already! The first months of school have flown by. We have completed our first field trip, survived our first round of MAPs tests, and (almost) finished our first research project. I think that's a pretty good start to the year.

Please take a moment to look at your child's homework calendar. Just like last month, there is a copy online as well as a paper copy for you at home and a copy for students in their homework folder.

Unlike last month, vocabulary will be checked on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. This allow everyone to receive additional feedback throughout the week as we progress through our word study. On Tuesdays, we will be checking "pg 1" which identifies the prefixes/suffixes for the week as well as their meanings. Usually the practice on this page asks the students to use the prefix/suffix to create words. "Pg 2" or "More Practice with (insert prefix/suffix here)" will be checked and collected on Wednesday. This page asks students to use words in context and create original sentences. We will still have our vocabulary quiz on Thursday. We have two more weeks of studying prefixes before we transition into studying suffixes. The practice pages will be similar.

You will also notice that on October 12, students will have Drops in the Bucket #1 for homework. We have completed the first part of our language Drops and will start math review this month. The format is similar, but we will go through the first page together in class.

Please, please, please make sure your child is reading at home. By the end of the month, students must have read one nonfiction book and take an AR test on it. This should not be the only book they read. If they find a nonfiction topic they really like, challenge them to find a fiction book that includes that topic. (Check out Magic Tree House books by Mary Pope Osborn for examples.) Or embrace nonfiction this month, and encourage your child to read multiple books on the same subject. Have conversations about how different writers present similar information.

Below are several links to book lists and articles for parents on student reading. Enjoy!
Favorite Books for Fourth Graders
Scholastic: Choosing Books for Your Child
Books for Third and Fourth Grade Students
Grand County Library District
            *Our local librarians are fantastic! Stop by and see what books they have to offer.

AR Test- due September 30

Students should be reading an AR book of their choice at home and preparing to take an AR comprehension quiz by the end of the month. Students may take more than one test. I will put the highest score into the gradebook.

Click on the link below to access the AR site and start a quiz!
Accelerated Reader